British media reports say Rebekah Brooks, the former head of media mogul Rupert Murdoch's British newspaper wing, has been arrested over phone hacking allegations.
British police confirmed they had arrested a 43-year-old woman on July 17 over allegations of phone hacking and corruption, but did not confirm her identity.
Police have already arrested nine people over allegations that Murdoch's "News of the World" tabloid hacked into the phone voice mails of hundreds of celebrities, politicians, rival journalists, dead British soldiers, and a murdered teenager.
The 43-year-old Brooks, who was once "News of the World" editor, resigned on July 15 as head of Murdoch's British newspapers.
Her arrest comes just two days before she is due to answer questions from a parliamentary committee investigating the hacking.
compiled from agency reports