Politics: Ban on witness payments

Payments such as those made by newspapers to some witnesses in the Fred West trial will be outlawed under a draft Bill to be published in this session of Parliament, it was confirmed yesterday by the Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine.

In a report to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, which had called for the action, Lord Irvine said the Government would follow the draft Bill with legislation "as soon as we conveniently can".

Five witnesses received money to reveal details of the notorious killings by West at his house in Cromwell Street, Gloucester.