A former police officer and Tiffin boy has been jailed for a year after he used his mother to sell stories to The Sun.

Thomas Ridgeway, 31, of Wallington, passed on two stories to the paper, including one about an actor's failed suicide attempt, and pocketed hundreds of pounds.

His mother, accounts manager Sandra Ridgeway, 55, of New Malden, was handed an 18-week suspended sentence for conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office.

Thomas Ridgeway was a keen rugby player who played for Old Tiffinians, and once took part in a personal fitness video for the INternational Rugby Board.

A former Tiffin acquaintance said: "It’s a bit of a shock.

"I was in the year below Tom at Tiffin, but we were in the same form group in sixth form as I think he was repeating some subjects.

"I know he was very into his sport, in particular his rugby.

"It will be a big shock to a lot of people who were at school with him."

Sandra Ridgeway pleaded guilty on Monday to acting as a go-between and passing on gossip overheard by her son to the newspaper, and was ordered to pay £1,000 in costs by Judge Charles Wide QC at the Old Bailey.

She had kept half of the £1,600 The Sun paid for the actor's story in 2004, to settle a debt from her son.

The actor felt the publicity had affected his recovery.

Thomas Ridgeway, who had served in the Met as a PC from September 2002, was jailed in May after admitting two charges of misconduct in public office.

The other story the Ridgeways sold on, in July 2009, concerned allegations of sexual activity by off-duty Lambeth police officers at a pub in Kennington, which began as gossip around the police station.

Two stories appeared in The Sun and the Ridgeways were paid £1,000.