This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/aug/29/bob-bird-tommy-sheridan-trial
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Phone-hacking police arrest former News of the World Scotland editor | Phone-hacking police arrest former News of the World Scotland editor |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Bob Bird, the former Scotland editor of the News of the World, has been arrested and charged by police investigating allegations of perjury and phone hacking linked to Tommy Sheridan's conviction for lying in court. | Bob Bird, the former Scotland editor of the News of the World, has been arrested and charged by police investigating allegations of perjury and phone hacking linked to Tommy Sheridan's conviction for lying in court. |
| Strathclyde police took Bird in for questioning on Wednesday morning as part of their long-running Operation Rubicon inquiry into claims that witnesses lied under oath during the perjury trial of the Scottish socialist leader Tommy Sheridan in 2010. | Strathclyde police took Bird in for questioning on Wednesday morning as part of their long-running Operation Rubicon inquiry into claims that witnesses lied under oath during the perjury trial of the Scottish socialist leader Tommy Sheridan in 2010. |
| Bird was later released from custody and a report will now be prepared for prosecutors. | Bird was later released from custody and a report will now be prepared for prosecutors. |
| A Strathclyde police spokewoman said: "Officers from Operation Rubicon of Strathclyde Police arrested and charged a 56-year-old man with attempting to pervert the course of justice at the time of the defamation action of Thomas Sheridan versus News Groups Newspapers. | A Strathclyde police spokewoman said: "Officers from Operation Rubicon of Strathclyde Police arrested and charged a 56-year-old man with attempting to pervert the course of justice at the time of the defamation action of Thomas Sheridan versus News Groups Newspapers. |
| "A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in Glasgow. Proceedings are now active and it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further." | "A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal in Glasgow. Proceedings are now active and it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further." |
| The Crown Office said Bird was arrested and charged on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. | The Crown Office said Bird was arrested and charged on suspicion of attempting to pervert the course of justice. |
| Bird is the third former News of the World journalist to be held by Strathclyde detectives. His former boss, Andy Coulson, was arrested on suspicion of lying in court during Sheridan's trial and charged with perjury in May. Bird's former news editor on the tabloid's Scottish edition and later NoW books editor, Doug Wight, was arrested and charged nearly two weeks ago as part of the same investigation. | Bird is the third former News of the World journalist to be held by Strathclyde detectives. His former boss, Andy Coulson, was arrested on suspicion of lying in court during Sheridan's trial and charged with perjury in May. Bird's former news editor on the tabloid's Scottish edition and later NoW books editor, Doug Wight, was arrested and charged nearly two weeks ago as part of the same investigation. |
| Wight was charged with perjury, conspiracy to hack telephones and breaches of the data protection acts. | Wight was charged with perjury, conspiracy to hack telephones and breaches of the data protection acts. |
| Operation Rubicon was set up in the wake of the closure of the News of the World last summer, following allegations that News International staff had hacked the phone of the missing schoolgirl Millie Dowler. | Operation Rubicon was set up in the wake of the closure of the News of the World last summer, following allegations that News International staff had hacked the phone of the missing schoolgirl Millie Dowler. |
| In collaboration with Crown Office prosecutors, Strathclyde police are investigating allegations that Sheridan and a number of people linked to him were victims of phone hacking, allegations that data protection legislation was breached, and that witnesses in Sheridan's trial lied under oath. | In collaboration with Crown Office prosecutors, Strathclyde police are investigating allegations that Sheridan and a number of people linked to him were victims of phone hacking, allegations that data protection legislation was breached, and that witnesses in Sheridan's trial lied under oath. |
| Sheridan was convicted in December 2010 of committing perjury when he won a celebrated defamation action against the News of the World in 2006, after the paper published detailed allegations about his sex life and alleged adultery. | Sheridan was convicted in December 2010 of committing perjury when he won a celebrated defamation action against the News of the World in 2006, after the paper published detailed allegations about his sex life and alleged adultery. |
| • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | |
| • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook. |