Detective Charged In Leaks Investigation

A senior Metropolitan Police detective has been charged with misconduct after allegedly contacting the News Of The World and offering to give the paper information.

Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London on October 1.

She has been charged as part of Operation Elveden, an investigation into alleged corrupt payments to officials that has so far seen 50 arrests.

Ms Casburn faces an accusation that she offered to give the now defunct Sunday tabloid information in September 2010, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Principal legal adviser Alison Levitt QC said: "The CPS received a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police Service which arose from Operation Elveden in relation to April Casburn.

"Ms Casburn is employed by the Metropolitan Police Service as a Detective Chief Inspector in Specialist Operations.

"We have concluded, having carefully considered the file of evidence, that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to charge DCI Casburn with misconduct in public office."