Former police sergeant faces jail for selling information to The Sun

Former police sergeant James Bowes who is facing jail after admitting selling information to The Sun newspaper (Sean Dempsey/PA Wire)

A former police sergeant is facing jail after admitting selling information to The Sun newspaper.

James Bowes, 30, from Steyning, West Sussex, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey today to misconduct in public office in 2010.

He was remanded on unconditional bail to be sentenced on 9 May.

Mr Justice Fulford warned him that the fact he had been given bail was "no indication of disposal".

No details of the case were given during the short hearing.

Bowes is said to have passed on information of investigations to the tabloid between April 9 and July 20 2010 while working for Sussex Police.

An earlier hearing before magistrates was told he contacted the News of the World newsdesk offering to provide information from a confidential police report to the newspaper and asking what the information was worth.

Then on 19 April he contacted The Sun and offered to sell them information, including names and contact details.

An article was subsequently published and Mr Bowes was paid £500.

In July that year, 2010, he contacted the same unnamed journalist at The Sun and provided information about a police search that was due to take place, leading to a number of stories, but was not remunerated.

Bowes was charged by officers from Operation Elveden, the Metropolitan police investigation into police corruption.

PA