Brooks arrested in News of the World phone-hacking probe

London, Mar 13(ANI): Former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks and her husband have been arrested in dawn raids on the suspicion of being behind a conspiracy to hinder the course of justice in connection with the phone-hacking scandal probe.

Brooks was arrested at her Oxfordshire house alongwith her husband Charlie, a millionaire race-horse trainer and columnist for the Telegraph.

A Met spokesperson said police consulted the Crown Prosecution Service before carrying out the raids.

"The co-ordinated arrests were made between approximately 5am and 7am this morning by officers from Operation Weeting, the MPS inquiry into the phone-hacking of voicemail boxes. All six - five men and one woman - were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, contrary to the Criminal Law Act 1977.A number of addresses connected to the arrests are being searched," The Age quoted him, as saying.

Brooks was earlier arrested in July 2011 on allegations of conspiring to intercept communications and on suspicion of corruption.

Brooks had stepped down from her role as chief executive of News International only days before her initial arrest.

Operation Weeting has made 23 arrests, including Brook's personal assistant, Cheryl Carter; private investigator Glenn Mulcaire; and former chief News of the World reporter Neville Thurlbeck, in connection with the probe. (ANI)