THE North-East lecturer arrested as part of an investigation into allegations of phone hacking has denied doing anything wrong and expressed her disgust at the practice.

Former News of the World reporter Bethany Usher, who teaches media ethics at Teesside University, maintains she has “never been involved in the interception of telecommunications in any way”.

The 31-year-old spent three years working on national newspapers after leaving the Sunderland Echo, where she was a trainee journalist.

In 2006, the 31-year-old was questioned by officers on suspicion of providing false information for a job at Buckingham Palace, but was never charged.

On Wednesday, she became the 17th arrest under Scotland Yard’s Operation Weeting.

In a statement, she said: “Due to the huge and justified public interest in practices at the News of the World, and the fact my name has become attached to them, I feel I have no alternative but to release a statement today.

“I embarked on a career in journalism with the best intentions, believing that being the eyes and ears of the public was a just profession.

“I worked for national newspapers between 2005 and 2008, spending two of those years at the News of the World, working largely on the road in the north of England.

At no time did I work in the Wapping office and I had little contact with other colleagues.

“I have never been involved in the interception of telecommunications in any way and strictly adhered to the Press Complaints Commission code of practice.

“However, I became disillusioned through working with some who saw human suffering simply as fodder to fill pages. As such, I made the decision to find an alternative career.

“I fully support the work of Operation Weeting and the Leveson inquiry and hope they will help to clean up an industry which forces out young people who chose a career path where they hoped they could make a difference.

“I do not wish to interfere with police investigations and as such any further comment would be irresponsible. However, like most people, I have been disgusted by revelations over recent months.”

Ms Usher, who was released on bail until March, has not been suspended from her role at the university, but according to a spokeswoman she is not taking lectures.