A third journalist has been reportedly arrested by the British police over the charge of hacking phone for a newspaper. The journalist according to the reports works for the News of the World tabloid.

It was revealed by the Metropolitan Police that they had detained on Thursday a 55 year old man on suspicion of illegally intercepting voice mail messages in mobile phones. Subsequently he was questioned at a police station in London.

The detained man alleged of phone hacking has been identified by the United Kingdom media as a senior reporter of the tabloid, James Weatherup.

A few celebrities have sued the News of the World tabloid, accusing it of intercepting even the voice mail messages in their mobile phones.

Nevertheless, the News of the World long maintained that a couple of rogue employees of theirs that were imprisoned in 2007 were responsible for the hacking.

However, the tabloid has acknowledged last week that the practice was more spread. Paying out compensation was also an offer put forward by the tabloid.