Bribery probe at UK's Barratt involved four arrests last year - police

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - A total of four people were arrested last year in an inquiry into allegations of bribery involving Britain's biggest housebuilder Barratt, police said on Wednesday, revealing two previously unreported arrests.

Barratt said in October it had suspended its London Regional Manager Alastair Baird after an investigation into alleged misconduct in the awarding and managing of contracts.

Baird, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a second Barratt employee were arrested at the time, Barratt said in October. Police later said two people had been released on bail.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said in an emailed statement to Reuters on Wednesday, when asked about the investigation at Barratt, that there had been two further arrests in November.

"We also arrested a 47-year-old man and a 49-year-old woman on 8 November, 2016, on suspicion of bribery. They have been bailed until April. There have been no other arrests since then," the spokesman said. The police did not give their names

Barratt, which said in October, that its London procurement processes were different from those used in the wider business, declined to comment on the inquiry or arrests.

"While the Metropolitan Police and internal investigations are ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment," a Barratt spokesman told Reuters. (Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Alexander Smith)