Police officers and Sun and Mirror journalists charged over corruption

A former senior Sun journalist, an ex-Daily Mirror journalist, a police officer and a prison officer have appeared in court charged in relation to the investigation into corrupt payments to police and public officials.

Graham Dudman, the former managing editor at The Sun; Greig Box Turnbull, a former journalist at the Daily Mirror; Darren Jennings, an officer with Wiltshire Police; Grant Pizzey, a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh in south east London; and his partner Desra Reilly, appeared at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Sun journalist Vince Soodin; John Troup, who used to be a journalist at the same paper; Alan Ostler, who was formerly an assistant technical instructor at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire; and Marc Alexander, a former prison officer at HMP Holloway in north London, also appeared for the brief hearing.

The defendants appeared side by side in the dock with Ostler sitting in front of the other eight.

They spoke only to state their dates of birth and addresses before they were told to appear at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing on September 18.

PA