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The crime reporter for the Sun newspaper has been charged following an investigation into allegations of corrupt payments to public officials.

Anthony France, 41, from Watford, was arrested in January last year by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Operation Elveden investigation.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it had authorised charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Mr France will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 21 August.

The Metropolitan Police say the two charges he faces relate to the periods between 31 March 2008 and 1 July 2011, and 19 July and 14 August 2009.

The Operation Elveden probe is being run alongside two other police inquiries. Operation Weeting is investigating alleged phone hacking, and Operation Tuleta is examining claims of computer hacking and other privacy breaches.