A Press Association journalist has been arrested by detectives investigating allegations of voicemail hacking.
Scotland Yard said the reporter was arrested by appointment when she attended a central London police station at around 3pm on suspicion of intercepting communications, contrary to Section 1 Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
She is being held for questioning by detectives assigned to Operation Weeting, a new investigation into phone hacking launched earlier this year.
Scotland Yard said it would be inappropriate to give any further details.
The Press Association confirmed that one of its journalists had been arrested.
Last week a 39-year-old woman was arrested by officers from Operation Weeting investigation phone-hacking allegations at the News of the World on suspicion of conspiring to intercept mobile phone voicemail messages.
Operation Weeting was launched by the Metropolitan Police in January following new allegations about phone hacking involving the News of the World.
The paper’s former royal reporter Clive Goodman and private detective Glenn Mulcaire were jailed in 2007 for intercepting messages from members of the royal household.
The new inquiry was set up following allegations that other famous people also had their messages intercepted.
Three News of the World journalists have also been arrested and questioned since the new inquiry was launched but no new charges have been brought.
Football pundit Andy Gray became the latest celebrity to settle with the paper’s publishers last week, accepting £20,000 in damages for voicemail interceptions.
News Group Newspapers reached a similar agreement with actress Sienna Miller, who received £100,000 in damages.
Other high-profile figures who suspect that their phone messages were intercepted and have launched legal action include politicians Lord Prescott and George Galloway, actor Jude Law, comedian Steve Coogan, footballers Paul Gascoigne and Ryan Giggs and television presenter Ulrika Jonsson.
Earlier this month former High Court judge Sir Charles Gray was appointed to oversee the compensation scheme set up by the News of the World’s publishers for victims of phone hacking.
The scheme aims to offer a fast and fair way for phone hacking victims to be compensated without having to go to court and incur legal costs.
UPDATE 10.10am 28/6/11
The PA reporter has been identified as royal reporter Laura Elston, 34. She was released on press bail on Monday evening.
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