The police have arrested two people following a leak of an Edexcel A level mathematics paper earlier this month.

Pearson - the company that owns the Edexcel exam board - said it had been informed by the police that they had arrested two individuals and were detaining them for questioning. 

How the story broke: Edexcel investigating A-level maths exam leak

Police probe: Investigation into ‘criminal’ A-level maths leak

Read: Exam cheating commission wants to ‘future proof’ the system

Earlier this month Tes broke the news of the leak - and that photos were circulated on Twitter of the exam paper the night before students were due to take it, accompanied by tweets offering the whole paper for £70.

It was the third time Edexcel’s A-level maths paper had been leaked in three years.

The leak is believed to have taken place at a London school or college, with the Metropolitan Police investigating the incident as a “criminal matter”.

Today, Sharon Hague, senior vice-president of schools at Pearson Edexcel, said: “We understand students are rightfully concerned and want a fair playing field. The actions we have taken to strengthen our security processes have enabled us, in conjunction with the police, to quickly identify those who we believe were involved in the breach and to take swift and immediate action.

“We are systematically working through all leads and, as we continue to investigate the suspects, this will enable us to further hone in on anyone that has gained an advantage, and take action accordingly. Our key priority is ensuring no students are disadvantaged in any way.”

“The UK exam system has strict controls in place, including security requirements on exam boards, logistics companies, schools, colleges, and their personnel. However, it is also built on a foundation of trust, that those given responsibility for the security of papers honour that trust. We are sorry that the actions of a small number of individuals have resulted in such a breach.

“We are limited in what we can say as the investigation is ongoing. However, we are committed to being transparent and we will provide more information as soon as we can.”

Last week, Edexcel also announced it had replaced an A-level paper for further maths after concerns were raised of a second exam leak.

And it has emerged that a leak of an AQA GCSE religious studies paper last month is also being investigated by the police.