LONDON (Sapa-AP) - British defence company BAE Systems PLC said Thursday that South African police visited its offices near the capital of Pretoria as part of an investigation by Britain's Serious Fraud Office into alleged bribery.

BAE spokesman John Neilson declined to give any details of what happened during Wednesday's police visit or say whether any specific individual had been questioned.

"We continue to support the SFO in its inquiries, with access to people, information and premises whenever requested and wholeheartedly support a rigorous approach, in the hope that it brings to a conclusion, inquiries, which are now in their fifth year," Neilson said in an e-mailed response to queries.

Bulelwa Makeke, spokeswoman for South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed that the country's elite Scorpion police unit, which fights corruption, had visited BAE's premises in Centurion, near Pretoria, on Wednesday. She declined to give any further details.

BAE has been under investigation by the SFO since 2003 over a 1.5 billion pound ($2.31 billion) deal to supply weapons, including 24 Hawk fighter trainers, to the South African government.

The SFO declined to comment on the police visit to the BAE offices, but spokesman David Jones said: "Naturally, you would expect the British and South African authorities to cooperate on matters of common interest."

Jones said that the South African authorities were investigating allegations of bribery at BAE independently, as well as in connection with Britain's investigation.