Barclays renew libel claim

The millionaire press baron twins David and Frederick Barclay are making another attempt to sue the BBC Director-General John Birt in France for libel.

In July last year, a court in St Malo dismissed the brothers' claim for damages following a broadcast on BBC Radio Guernsey in October 1995 in which the Barclays claim they were falsely accused of corruption. Last summer, the court threw out their case - in which they claimed pounds 108,000 damages - on the grounds that it was "unacceptable". The date fixed for the appeal decision is 24 January. Tim Finan