First time a journalist who has worked on a non-News International title has been arrested as part of Operation Elveden

This article is more than 8 years old

This article is more than 8 years old

A prison officer and a former Mirror journalist were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the police probe into alleged corrupt payments to public officials.

It is the first time a journalist who has worked on a non-News International title has been arrested in connection with Scotland Yard's Operation Elveden inquiry.

Greig Box-Turnbull, 37, who worked for Trinity Mirror until taking voluntary redundancy in March, was arrested at his home in Morden, Surrey. Two other people – a prison officer and a woman, whose job has not been identified – were also arrested between 6am and 8am on Wednesday.

A Mirror spokesman said it could not comment: "We cannot confirm anything because we do not know."

The prison worker, 46, was arrested at his home in south-east London, and a 50-year-old woman was held at a non-residential address in Kent.

They were all arrested on suspicion of corruption, conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office.

Box-Turnbull is working for Westminster council but was on secondment to Richmond council.

A Westminster council spokesman said: "We have yet to speak to the employee. With the possibility of further legal action it would clearly be inappropriate to comment further."

Trinity Mirror has not been contacted by Scotland Yard about the arrest, and it is unclear whether any allegations are linked to Box-Turnbull's work for the Daily Mirror, a spokesman said.

Thirty seven people have been arrested in connection with Operation Elveden, the investigation into suspected corrupt payments to public officials.

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