Three held in police payments investigation Two men and a woman have been arrested over suspected inappropriate payments to police and public officials, The three, one of whom is a former prison officer, were arrested at around 6am this morning at three separate addresses as part of Operation Elveden, Scotland Yard's inquiry into payments to public officials. They are being questioned at police stations in Northamptonshire and London, Scotland Yard said. Scotland Yard said a former prison officer, 40, was arrested at his home in Corby, Northamptonshire, on suspicion of corruption; suspicion of misconduct in a public office; and suspicion of money laundering offences. A 37-year-old woman was arrested at her home address in Corby, Northamptonshire, on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and suspicion of money laundering offences. Both are being questioned at a police station in Northamptonshire. A 31-year-old man was arrested at his home in Croydon, Surrey, on suspicion of conspiracy to corrupt and suspicion of conspiracy to cause misconduct in a public office. He is being questioned at a south London police station. Today's arrests bring the number of suspects held in connection with Operation Elveden to 33. Scotland Yard said the arrests are the result of information provided by News Corporation's Management Standards Committee (MSE). The arrests come just a day after former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her racehorse trainer husband Charlie made their first appearance in court on charges relating to the phone hacking scandal. Mrs Brooks, 44, of Churchill, Oxfordshire, faces three charges of conspiring to pervert the course of justice, while her husband, 49, is charged with one count of the same offence. They appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court alongside four others. Mrs Brooks' former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 48, of Mildmay Road, Chelmsford, Essex; head of security at News International Mark Hanna, 49, of Glynswood Road, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire; Mrs Brooks' chauffeur Paul Edwards, 47, of Victoria Park Square, Bethnal Green, east London; and security consultant Daryl Jorsling, 39, of Vale Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, all face a single charge of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. They were all bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on June 22. Police launched Operation Weeting, the inquiry devoted specifically to phone hacking, after receiving "significant new information" from News International on January 26 last year. Operation Elveden was launched months later after officers were given documents suggesting News International journalists made illegal payments to police officers. Officers also launched three related operations: the Sasha inquiry into allegations of perverting the course of justice; Kilo, an inquiry into police leaks; and Tuleta, the investigation into computer-related offences, as the inquiry escalated. Metropolitan Police figures showed there were 829 potential victims of phone hacking, of whom 231 were said to be uncontactable. The scandal has already led to the closure of the News of the World after 168 years, prompted a major public inquiry, and forced the resignation of Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson and his assistant John Yates.