England captain named as sportsman in alleged affair

His identity was confirmed yesterday after Mr Justice Tugendhat gave his reasons at the High Court in London for lifting the so-called superinjunction, suggesting the player was more concerned about his reputation and high-profile sponsorship deals than the privacy of others involved.

Terry is married to childhood sweetheart Toni and is the father of twins. Last year he was named Dad of the Year following a poll of UK adults.

Lawyers for the Chelsea player, obtained the order last week which barred a Sunday newspaper from reporting an alleged affair between LNS – as Terry was referred to in court – and a woman, who is not named in the court documents.

Giving his reasons yesterday, the judge said the information was so widely available as to make the injunction disproportionate. "Further, if – as I think likely – the real concern of the applicant in this case is the effect of publication upon the sponsorship business, then damages would be an adequate remedy if LNS succeeds at trial," he said.

Mr Justice Tugendhat said the woman was also famous but not in the world of sport. He added that freedom to live as one chose was one of the most valuable freedoms but so was the freedom to criticise within the limits of the law.