LONDON (AP) — London's Metropolitan Police have closed their investigation into allegations that journalists were paying police and other public officials for information.

The investigation, Operation Elveden, ended with 34 convictions, including nine police officers and 21 public officials. Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan said Friday the officials "breached the trust of the public by leaking confidential information for nothing other than financial gain."

The inquiry ran alongside investigations into phone and computer hacking sparked by revelations that reporters at Rupert Murdoch's now-shuttered News of the World tabloid regularly intercepted voicemails.

Gallan defended the decision to arrest journalists for conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office. She says it was necessary to investigate all suspected crimes from evidence provided by News International, parent company of the News of the World.