Claims: Shayler

Former MI5 agent David Shayler has lost an appeal in which he was seeking the right to argue his disclosure of secret information was in the public interest.

The Court of Appeal on Friday upheld an earlier decision that Shayler need not have made his claims about the illegal activities of the secret services public, so had no right to claim his actions were justified on public interest grounds.

Shayler's lawyers had argued that by preventing him from arguing a public interest defence, his human rights were being breached.

The trial of the former MI5 employee is expected to be heard at the Old Bailey in November. He is to be prosecuted for breaching the Official Secrets Act when he revealed classified documents to a Sunday newspaper three years ago.

After hearing the verdict, the former spy issued an angry statement warning the events in America could take place here.

"In the context of what's happening today it will be an enormous tragedy if MI5 had information and did not react to it,'' he said outside the High Court. "It could be the difference between 5,000 dead and people behind bars."We have seen what happened in New York and this could happen again in this country if the security services are allowed to get away with murder and with failing to prevent terrorist attack. Our lives will continue to be put at risk by inefficient security services. How can they allow the security services to go on murdering innocent people?''

Shayler claimed he had been treated unfairly by his former employers.

"I served my country for five years. In doing so, I put my own life at risk to prevent terrorist attack. I helped put IRA terrorists in prison and I helped to prevent attacks by international terrorists - not exactly like the ones we saw in New York but with the same kind of thinking behind it.''

He claims he tried to go through the normal channels after discovering illegal activities in MI5 and MI6 but was ignored by service chiefs.

"I then responsibly raised those issues with the media. I don't think I caused any damage to national security at all," he said.