Millionaire owner Steve Hayes on bail after being arrested by Scotland Yard police working on Operation Tuleta

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

The millionaire owner of London Wasps rugby club, Steve Hayes, is on police bail after being arrested on suspicion of computer hacking, it has emerged.

Hayes was arrested in Hertfordshire in February by Scotland Yard detectives from Operation Tuleta, an offshoot of the force's Weeting investigation into alleged illegal activities at News International.

The investigation into Hayes, 50, was not linked to any news organisation or the activities of journalists, police said.

Hayes, who also owns Wycombe Wanderers football club, bought the Aviva Premiership rugby club in 2008. Last October, he announced plans to sell Wasps.

The businessman, who made millions of pounds selling an internet loans business, was detained on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act.

A Wasps spokeswoman confirmed the arrest. "We will not be further commenting for now," she said.

There have been 46 arrests surrounding inquiries into hacking and corruption under Weeting, Elveden and Tuleta.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "On 24 February 2012, officers from Operation Tuleta arrested a man at his home in Hertfordshire, and a man at an address in Surrey, on suspicion of offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000.

"They were taken to London police stations and later bailed to return in June and July 2012 pending further enquiries."