LONDON - British police have arrested the former chairman of the Co-operative bank as part of an investigation into the supply of illegal drugs after a newspaper published a video apparently showing the man arranging to buy crack cocaine and crystal meth.
Prime Minister David Cameron has questioned why Paul Flowers, a one-time local Labour politician and Methodist preacher with no banking qualifications, was judged suitable for the role of chairman of the bank.
Police said a 63-year-old man was arrested in the Merseyside area of northern England late on Thursday. "He has been taken to a police station in West Yorkshire where detectives will continue their enquiries," police said in a statement.
Flowers, 63, has not directly addressed the allegations of drug use, though he said in a statement on Sunday that he has had a difficult year and apologised for doing sometimes stupid things.
He could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.