Mosley says press still free

The High Court's ruling that the News of the World were wrong to publish their story on his involvement in an S&M orgy has been greeted with disappointment by many observers, who think it prevents newspapers from revealing details of private lives in the future.

But Mosley does not agree with that theory - claiming that newspapers are still free to report on items that are of genuine public interest.

"That's complete nonsense," Mosley told The Sunday Telegraph about claims the privacy court success would end press freedom.

"What emerges from the judgment is that it is perfectly all right to reveal details of someone's private life if there is a genuine reason to do so but it is not all right to do so for light entertainment or because an editor decides to destroy someone's life for no better reason that to sell a few more newspapers."

He added: "The legal authorities have, however, decided that gratuitous revelations about someone's sex life are no longer permissible. There needs to be a genuine public interest reason to do it.

"I am the victim of an unlawful act by someone else in the same way as I would be if I was mugged."