Judge rebuffs move by Sir Fred's lover

The woman alleged to be Sir Fred Goodwin's former lover has been told by a judge that if she wants the Government to prosecute a newspaper that nearly identified her, she should contact the Attorney General herself.

The woman, an ex-colleague of Sir Fred at Royal Bank of Scotland, had applied to the judge to report the Daily Mail to the Attorney General for publishing details that may reveal her identity, which is protected by a court order. Rejecting her application, Mr Justice Tugendhat said: "The lady is free to refer the matter to the Attorney General herself, and the Attorney General is free to act of his own motion."

One of the arguments used in the newspaper's defence was that the disputed article was inaccurate in at least two details, which reduced the likelihood of the woman being identified. She is alleged to have had an extramarital affair in the run-up to the collapse of RBS, which was bailed out by taxpayers in 2008. Both parties' identities were protected by a super-injunction obtained in March. That injunction has now been amended, making it legal to name Sir Fred, but not the woman concerned.