Tomm Sheridan brands journalist affair claims as "untrue"

Former MSP Tommy Sheridan today accused a journalist of giving "untrue" evidence in court over claims she had a "kinky fling" with a married politician.

Anvar Khan, a former News of the World columnist, has told the High Court in Glasgow she had sex with the former Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) MSP on several occasions.

As part of her claims, she alleged they both visited Cupid's swingers' club in Manchester in 2002.

Sheridan is on trial accused of lying under oath during his successful defamation action against the Sunday newspaper in 2006.

He denies lying to the courts during the action, which followed the newspaper's claims that he was an adulterer who visited swingers' clubs.

Sheridan won 200,000 in damages after the newspapers printed the allegations.

Cross-examining the witness, Sheridan, who is representing himself, pointed to a column printed in the News of the World.

Its opening paragraph, read to the jury, stated that Ms Khan has "told how she had a kinky fling with a married Scots politician".

Sheridan put it to her: "That simply wasn't true, was it?"

Ms Khan replied: "In what way, sorry? My evidence has been about yourself during the libel trial and today."

Sheridan went on: "Your evidence is untrue. You haven't had a kinky fling with a Scots married politician if you're trying to identify that politician as being me."

Ms Khan replied that she did not understand the question and later insisted: "It's actually true."

The court also heard how Ms Khan won a 16,000 settlement after bringing a legal action against the News of the World.

The journalist told the trial how she and the newspaper were "not friends".

Ms Khan said she "took out litigation" against the News of the World after her contract was not renewed in 2008.

"It was settled in my favour," she told the court.

"I have to say clearly to the court that News International and I are not friends."

Asked about the figure that was agreed, Ms Khan said: "We settled on a sum of 16,000. That was with the threat of a tribunal."