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July 15, 2015updated 16 Jul 2015 3:41pm

Mirror journalist arrested at work on suspicion of phone-hacking

By William Turvill and Dominic Ponsford

A senior journalist at the Daily Mirror was today arrested on suspicion of phone-hacking.

Press Gazette understands that agenda editor Lee Harpin was spoken to by police in a side room at the Mirror offices and formally placed under arrest.

Harpin was last week promoted to agenda editor of the Mirror nationals. He was previously news editor of the Sunday titles.

Harpin was arrested at about midday after being taken to a meeting room away from staff. Detectives from Operation Golding, the investigation into phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers, removed his computers and files from the building and emptied his desk drawers.

Chief executive Simon Fox told staff in an email: "I can confirm that an employee was arrested today by officers from Operation Golding (investigations into phone hacking).

"It is inevitable that there will news coverage and media speculation around this, so I wanted to ensure you heard it from us."

According to Harpin's LinkedIn page, he was head of news at the Sunday People between 2006 and 2012 before being made weekend news editor. He was then made head of news across the Sunday People and Sunday Mirror in September last year before being promoted to agenda editor this month.

Harpin has become at least the 66th journalist to be arrested over the last four years as a result of investigations stemming from the hacking scandal at the News of the World.

He is the tenth journalist from Trinity Mirror to be arrested. Many more have been questioned under caution.

The Met police said in a statement: "A 47-year old man, a journalist has today Wednesday, 15 July been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to unlawfully intercept communications.

"The arrest was made by detectives from Operation Golding, the investigation into the suspected conspiracy by individuals to intercept telephone voicemails at Mirror Group Newspapers.

"It is being investigated as part of Operation Weeting.

"He is the fifth person to be arrested under Operation Golding.

"The man remains in police custody at this time."

 

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