Straw moves over witness anonymity

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He confirmed he was "looking at proposals to change the law" after a £6 million murder trial collapsed at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

Mr Straw said: "I am looking at the issue of anonymous witnesses with urgency and hope to make further announcements over the next few days."

And he added: "There is a difficult balance to strike here, between giving witnesses who fear for their safety the confidence to give evidence in court and ensuring that the innocent people are not convicted in the courts.

"But it is vital for the public's confidence in the justice system that witnesses are able to give evidence safely and without fear of reprisals - particularly in cases involving gang and gun crime."

The trial was abandoned following a ruling handed down by the Law Lords last week.

Mr Straw said: "I am looking at proposals to change the law and will make a statement to Parliament in the coming days. Before doing so I will be having discussions with the other ministers, the opposition parties, the police, CPS and others.

"The Law Lords' ruling said that the common law cannot be used to provide anonymity to witnesses but they were clear that it is now a matter for Parliament to consider."

Top police officers and prosecutors want the use of anonymous witnesses to be enshrined in law before Parliament rises for the summer recess.

If a solution cannot be found in the next 28 days, courts could face a deluge of appeals at a potentially huge cost to the taxpayer. Police believe up to 40 people convicted of serious crimes in the capital alone could walk free if witnesses refuse to reveal their names in a retrial.