Lawyers make plea to May over hacker's extradition

THE Home Secretary came under pressure yesterday to overrule her predecessor's decision to allow the extradition to the United States of computer hacker Gary McKinnon.

Mr McKinnon's lawyers made representations to Theresa May yesterday in the latest bid to stop him facing trial in the US. A High Court judge is due to rule on whether Alan Johnson was wrong to allow the extradition.

Mr McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, said: "We hope the new Liberal-Conservative government will act upon their previous public statements that it would be unjust to extradite Mr McKinnon."

Both David Cameron and Nick Clegg have publicly condemned plans to send Mr McKinnon to the US – where he faces up to 60 years in jail.

US authorities want Mr McKinnon, 43, to stand trial for hacking into top-secret military computers. But Mr McKinnon, originally from Scotland, says he was looking for evidence of UFOs.