Three arrested over royal phone taps

Prince Charles

LONDON - Three men have been arrested on suspicion of intercepting telephone calls at the official residence of Prince Charles, London police said today.

The alleged phone tapping at the prince's Clarence House London home may have compromised the security of members of the Royal Family, Scotland Yard said.

"As a result of their inquiries police now believe that public figures beyond the Royal Household have had their telephones intercepted, which may have potential security implications," police said in a statement.

The three suspects, aged 35, 48 and 50 were arrested in the London area and are being held at a police station. Scotland Yard's anti-terrorism branch is leading the investigation.

Media said one of the men was a reporter for a tabloid newspaper.

Three members of staff at Clarence House initially alerted the police to the alleged tapping in December last year.

The alleged security breaches took place "over a significant period of time", the statement added.

This would not be the first time that the Royal Family has been the subject of telephone tapping.

Prince Charles, his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles and his late wife Diana, Princess of Wales, were targeted by phone tappers in the past, resulting in embarrassing details of their private lives being thrust into the public domain.

- REUTERS