Tom Crone, News International Lawyer, Denies Wrongdoing After Thursday 'Hacking' Arrest

Crone Denies 'Hacking' Offence

Tom Crone, former legal advisor to News International, has said he "categorically denies" any criminal offence after the 60-year-old was arrested by phone hacking investigators on Thursday.

Crone was held at his home in south west London on Thursday on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, before being bailed until October.

The lawyer's solicitor, Henri Brandman, said on Friday that: "My client has fully assisted the police in their enquiries. He categorically denies the commission of or involvement in any criminal offence. Neither he nor I will be making any further public statement."

Crone is the 25th person to be arrested under Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan Police's investigation into allegations of phone hacking.

Crone, 60, arrested by police on Thursday morning

Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday over charges linked to the same inquiry.

She is accused of one general charge of conspiracy to illegally access voicemails, and two others relating to murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and former union boss Andrew Gilchrist.

Seven other people, including David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson, appeared at the same court earlier this month to face phone hacking conspiracy charges.

The Weeting investigation is being run alongside operations Elveden and Tuleta, which are investigating alleged corrupt payments to public officials and accusations of computer hacking and other devices respectively.

So far 43 people have been arrested under Elveden and 11 under Tuleta.

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