U.k. Telephone Hacking Scandal Spreads

ritain's telephone hacking scandal, which previously had involved only employees of News International, News Corp's U.K. newspaper subsidiary, has now spread to the rival Mirror Group. Four current or former reporters for the London Sunday Mirror were arrested during raids conducted at dawn today (Thursday) and hauled to various London police stations for questioning. In a statement, Scotland Yard said: Detectives on Operation Weeting have identified and are investigating a suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails at Mirror Group Newspapers. Names of the detained journalists were not disclosed. However, the London Financial Times , citing people who know the individuals, said they included Tina Weaver, the Sunday Mirror's former editor and a member of the ethics committee of the Press Complaints Commission. Mark Thomas another former editor of the Sunday Mirror, was also arrested, as well as Nick Buckley, current deputy editor of the newspaper, and James Scott, another former deputy editor and current editor of the Sunday People. The police agency said that it was carrying out searches at a number of addresses.