Privacy case judge thinks over plea to name footballer

Lawyers for The Sun newspaper asked Mr Justice Eady to lift an order protecting the identity of the player, who is said to have had an affair with “busty Big Brother babe” Imogen Thomas.

He reserved judgment after hearing arguments in private at the High Court in London.

Sun lawyers had argued that the identity of the footballer, who has a family, had leaked into the public domain and any order should not prevent “further publication”.

Earlier the judge explained why he had made the temporary injunction in April against Sun publisher News Group Newspapers and Ms Thomas to prevent the footballer’s name being reported.

He had weighed competing rights to privacy and freedom of expression laid down in the European Human Rights Convention.

There appeared to be a “conflict” about the length of the relationship between the footballer and 28-year-old Ms Thomas, said the judge.

The footballer said he met Ms Thomas three times in 2010. Ms Thomas had suggested that the relationship continued for about six months.

Mr Justice Eady said evidence “appeared strongly to suggest” the footballer was “being blackmailed”.

Outside court, Ms Thomas said she was “outraged” at being accused of blackmail.