The long-serving personal assistant to former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks is understood to have been arrested by detectives investigating phone hacking.

A 47-year-old woman, understood to be Brooks's former PA Cheryl Carter, was taken into custody at a police station in Essex on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to Operation Weeting, the Metropolitan police's investigation into phone hacking.

She was later released on police bail to return for more questioning later this month.

Carter is no longer employed by either News International or Brooks, who quit the company in the wake of the phone hacking scandal last July.

She was Brooks' right-hand woman for 19 years and will be familiar with many of her business affairs. Carter worked with her when she was editor of the News of the World and the Sun and latterly when Brooks was elevated to the chief executive's role.

In 2003 Carter was given a beauty column in the Sun and co-founded her own makeup brand called Famous.

On Thinkingslimmer.com she dished out tips on everything from how to get glossy lips to the nourishing and hydrating qualities of rosewater.

As recently as July, she was listed as the Sun's beauty editor. She is understood to have left the company around the time Brooks resigned.

Brooks was arrested and bailed in July as part of Operation Weeting, Scotland Yard's investigation into phone hacking and as part of Operation Elveden, the investigation into police corruption.

At the time her lawyer, Stephen Parkinson, said police "put no allegations to Brooks and showed her no documents connecting her with any crime".

According to a Metropolitan police statement, a 47-year-old woman was arrested at 6.55am on Friday morning.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "Officers from Operation Weeting have this morning arrested a 47-year-old woman at an address in Essex.

"The woman was arrested at approximately 06.55 on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice, and she is currently in custody at an Essex police station.

"She is the 17th person to be arrested as part of Operation Weeting, the investigation into phone hacking."

A spokesman for the Met said the woman had not been arrested before and confirmed she was not a policewoman.

The 47-year-old is the third person to be arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in relation to Operation Weeting.

In December the News of the World's former private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, was arrested on the same grounds and bailed until March 2012. In September a former News of the World reporter, Ross Hall, was also arrested on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He is believed to be the man who transcribed the "for Neville" email that was sent to private investigator Mulcaire.

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