A TOP security prisoner at Full Sutton Jail has launched a High Court action against the governor, claiming his human rights are being violated.

John Cannan is serving life at the jail near Stamford Bridge for the murder of a Bristol woman and other offences including rape and attempted kidnap. He is also suspected of killing missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, although the Crown Prosecution Service has recently said it does not have enough evidence to charge him.

The 48-year-old inmate has gone to the High Court in a bid for "free and unimpeded" access to his legal advisers from inside the jail.

Flo Krause, for the prisoner, claimed that the governor was breaching the European Convention on Human Rights by preventing Cannan exchanging legal documents with his solicitors.

She told the court Cannan had been involved in a long-running battle with the authorities at Full Sutton over legal papers. Matters came to a head last April when the governor said he could only receive documents after they had been thoroughly searched and X-rayed. This meant legally privileged documents would be taken somewhere in the prison for perusal where Cannan and his adviser would not be present.

But Stephen Kovats, for the governor, said there was nothing wrong with the prison's policy and argued that Cannan's rights had not been breached. Mr Justice Hooper was due to give a ruling today.

Updated: 11:47 Tuesday, January 21, 2003