Millionaire 'winner' arrested

The arrest is not connected to Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Major Charles Ingram - the man at the centre of a police investigation into the ITV quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? - has been arrested over allegations of deception.

The arrest is not related to the TV show - but stems from questions over an insurance claim made on his home, according to reports.

Major Ingram is currently locked in a legal battle with makers of the hit quiz show after they refused to pay him £1m winnings from an episode that has not yet been screened.

Major Ingram was arrested at his home on Monday

Scotland Yard has been investigating allegations that coughing from the audience could have indicated the answers to him.

"He was arrested in connection with offences of deception and he's been released on police bail for further enquiries to be made," a spokesman for Wiltshire Police told BBC News Online.

"It is not connected with Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

The arrest was made on Monday and he has been bailed to return to Salisbury police station on 4 December, the spokesman said.

Major Ingram, 38, of Upavon, Wiltshire, submitted a £30,000 claim after he said his home was broken into in August, The Sun newspaper reports.

Legal action

But his insurance company has refused to pay until police are satisfied there has been no wrongdoing, the paper says.

Major Ingram's disputed win on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? has seen him take legal action to force programme-makers to hand over the £1m.

He has strenuously denied the allegations that he was helped to win the total by a member of the audience.

A member of the quiz show's production team reportedly heard coughing in the audience and thought the number of coughs coincided with the number of the correct answer.