A famous man asks a London court to stop two news groups from publishing sexual misconduct claims against him

The story

A man described in court as "well known" has asked the High Court in London to stop two British news organisations from publishing serious allegations against him, including claims of a sexual nature. He denies all of them.

The two organisations spent time looking into his conduct over a period of years and wrote to him with what they found in the spring. He answered by denying the claims and sending medical reports. The court heard those reports say that if the allegations come out he would "almost certainly" try to take his own life, and that the prospect of publication has already led to two suicide attempts.

Lawyers for the news groups argued it would be wrong for a judge to block the story. They told the court there is already a detailed system in place, run by mental health professionals in the health service, to protect people who are at risk of suicide.

The man has been given anonymity, and so have three of the journalists' sources. One of them, a woman, says she was the victim of a sexual offence by him. The other two have agreed to be named in any eventual report but are protected for now.

Mr Justice Nicklin will decide at a trial later this month whether the man stays anonymous for good and whether the allegations can ever be published.