Man allegedly involved in PlayStation Network hacking arrested

The 22-year-old was released on bail until March

The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live were targeted by hackers over Christmas (AFP/Getty)

A man allegedly involved in the hacking of the Sony PlayStation Network has been arrested.

Thames Valley Police yesterday released a statement saying that the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (Serocu) had arrested a 22-year-old man on 30 December in connection with fraud and Computer Misuse Act offences.

The statement said: “The arrest… is in connection with an ongoing investigation in to cyber fraud offences which took place between 2013 and August 2014 during which victims reported funds being stolen from their PayPal accounts.”

It added that the man has been released on bail until 10 March.

The 22-year-old man, who is alleged to have links to hacker group Lizard Squad, reportedly told the Daily Dot that Serocu had raided his home prior to his arrest. In an email to the publication he wrote: "They took everything. Xbox one, phones, laptops, computer USBs, etc."

The PlayStation Network was down for three days, including Christmas Day, after it was targeted by Lizard Squad.

Xbox Live was also taken down the hacker collective, which said it had done so to demonstrate weak internet security. The attack stopped soon after - an apparent result of Kim Dotcom having offered the group hundreds of thousands of dollars of vouchers for his Mega file-hosting service to bring it to an end.