Soldier arrested over hoax photos

The Daily Mirror published photos allegedly showing prisoner abuse

At least one soldier has been arrested in connection with faked Iraqi torture pictures published in the Daily Mirror, the Ministry of Defence has said.

A spokeswoman said it was a "routine" part of the investigation.

The newspaper apologised for publishing the hoax pictures on Saturday following the sacking of editor Piers Morgan.

The Sunday Telegraph said Trinity Mirror executives planned to reveal the identity of its sources for the story to the Royal Military Police (RMP).

An MoD spokeswoman said: "At least one soldier was arrested to be questioned under caution in connection with the Mirror photographs."

She said no charges were brought.

The RMP had said a truck shown in the photographs had never been in Iraq.

One photograph showed a soldier urinating on a hooded man while in another the hooded man is being hit with a rifle in the groin.

We apologise for publishing pictures which we now believe were not genuine Daily Mirror

But on Saturday, the Mirror published a front page declaring "Sorry ... We Were Hoaxed".

In an editorial, the paper said they were published "in good faith, but added: "We apologise for publishing pictures which we now believe were not genuine.

"We also say sorry to the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and our Army in Iraq for publishing those pictures."

The regiment greeted the apology with "quiet satisfaction", and welcomed the paper's decision to give its profits from the sale of the photos - estimated to be £50,000 - to charity.

Neither the government nor the regiment have denied abuses may have taken place in Iraq.

An RMP investigation into other alleged abuses by British soldiers of Iraqis is still continuing.