Lockerbie appeal 'must speed up'

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Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was diagnosed with prostate cancer after hospital tests last month and the disease has spread to other parts of his body.

The former Libyan intelligence agent, 56, is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 27 years for the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 which led to the deaths of 270 people.

He was taken from his prison cell in HMP Greenock under tight security to undergo the tests at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock last month.

Politicians and the father of one of the Lockerbie victims said the Scottish authorities must now ensure Al Megrahi's appeal was heard as soon as possible.

Al Megrahi was convicted of the Lockerbie bombing in 2001.

He lost an appeal in 2002, but was given a fresh chance to clear his name in June last year when the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) referred his case back to appeal judges for a second time. His appeal is due to be heard next year.

Dr Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora died in the bombing, said: "If his prognosis is bad then I hope that the Scottish authorities would look for a way of speeding up the next appeal without compromising the fairness of it. It would be an act of great humanity to do that."

His views were echoed by former Labour MP Tam Dalyell, who is convinced of Megrahi's innocence.

"My view is there is a moral obligation to speed up the (appeal) process," said the 76-year-old.