'Mystery' England player wins further High Court gagging order

An England player has won a continuation of a High Court gagging order preventing the "misuse" of private information about him.

The ruling was made by Mr Justice Kenneth Parker, sitting in London.

An injunction was originally granted by a different judge to the unnamed star on August 19, blocking publication of allegations about his private life.

Today's decision means that the injunction granted on August 19 continues until trial of the action or further order.

The case - listed in the anonymous form of ZXC v BNM - was heard in private, but lawyers confirmed afterwards that the order had been continued by the judge.

Before the proceedings went into private session, Hugh Tomlinson QC, for the footballer, told the judge that an injunction was granted on August 19 "to prevent the misuse of private information".

He stressed that it was not a super-injunction.

Mr Tomlinson added: "It is an injunction which does not seek to conceal its own identity, but seeks to conceal the identity of the claimant and the defendant because it is an injunction which relates to private information."

The QC then applied for the hearing to be held in private.

Mr Tomlinson told the judge that publicity would "defeat the object of the hearing" as the case involved confidential information - confidentiality would be "damaged" if the proceedings were held in open court.

Granting that application, the judge said he had considered the matter and had decided it was "an appropriate case to be heard in private".