The Sunday Times has been granted permission to publish extracts of the book by former MI6 spy Richard Tomlinson.

The High Court ruled on Thursday that the paper could publish any information which was already in the public domain.

Tomlinson's book "The Big Breach" was put into print by a Russian publishers and gives details of the location of MI6's training centre and details of the techniques used by service.

The paper had appealed against an earlier court ruling, arguing that large extracts of the book could be viewed on the internet. The government had attempted to ban the book, claiming it contained information likely to harm national security.

Tomlinson has been involved in a long-running battle with the British government over claims that he was sacked from MI6 - he has constantly called for an industrial tribunal.

His previous actions have included publishing a list of MI6 officers on the internet, along with allegations over the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.