A FORMER Bury Times journalist will not be prosecuted after he defied a judge's order to name his source for a story about the IRA bombing of Manchester.

Despite being warned that he faced jail, Manchester Evening News deputy news editor Steve Panter repeatedly refused to answer questions in court about the source for the story which was published in April 1999.

The story included leaked evidence against a prime suspect in the bombing investigation.

Seven months later Mr Panter, the paper's crime reporter, was arrested and interrogated by police who were investigating the source of the leak.

The detective who led the investigation into the bombing was then charged with leaking information. He was cleared by the courts early this year but it was during the court proceedings that Mr Panter was called to the stand and ordered to reveal the name of his source.

The Attorney General has now decided against prosecuting Mr Panter (48) from Bury for contempt of court. In a letter to the paper, he said any prosecution of the reporter would not be appropriate or in the public interest.