Officers admit selling secrets

A former police officer and a prison officer have both admitted selling secrets to the Sun newspaper.

Ex Surrey Pc Alan Tierney pleaded guilty to two counts of misconduct in public office at the Old Bailey after he sold information about the arrests of footballer John Terry's mother Sue and Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood in 2009.

Prison officer Richard Trunkfield, 31, from Moulton, Northamptonshire, admitted leaking information about a high profile prisoner to the tabloid.

He pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office between March 2 and April 30, 2010.

Tierney, from Hayling Island, Hampshire, was released on bail to be sentenced on March 27. Mr Justice Fulford warned him that "all options remain open".

Tierney, 40, admitted one count of the offence between March 26 and April 3, 2009, and the second between December 2 and 7, 2009.

Tierney and Trunkfield were arrested as part of Operation Elveden, which was set up to investigate allegations of newspapers paying police officers for information.

Tierney sold details about Sue Terry and Sue Poole, the mother and mother-in-law of former England football captain John Terry, being arrested on suspicion of shoplifting in Surrey. They accepted cautions.

He also sold details about the arrest of guitarist Wood, 65, on suspicion of beating up his Russian lover Ekaterina Ivanova, who is in her 20s. Wood also accepted a caution.

Trunkfield leaked information about a high profile inmate while working at high security Woodhill prison near Milton Keynes.