A man and his son have been arrested in connection with the illegal possession of copies of Sowetan's matric results supplement the night before the official release.

At 9.30pm on Wednesday, police received a tip-off that the matric results were available to be viewed for R30 in Lenasia, south of Joburg.

"Officers were at the house by 10pm and found a queue of people. A man in his 40s was arrested and his son was also arrested for interfering with police investigations and impersonating a legal officer," said provincial police spokeswoman Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale.

The results were due for release yesterday at 6am in terms of the embargo agreement with the Department of Basic Education.

It is suspected that copies of Sowetan matric results supplements - and not the whole newspaper - were stolen from the printing press in Industria, Johannesburg.

Sowetan Editor Mpumelelo Mkhabela said the culprits should be brought to book.

"Neither the newspaper nor the matric results supplement inserted into it were on sale at that time. Whatever happened was a criminal act." - moengk@sowetan.co.za