THE extradition of Crouch End computer hacker Gary McKinnon has been delayed by the new Home Secretary Theresa May. Ms May – the sixth Home Secretary to consider the case – has agreed to an adjournment of a judicial review that was supposed to start in th

THE extradition of Crouch End computer hacker Gary McKinnon has been delayed by the new Home Secretary Theresa May.

Ms May - the sixth Home Secretary to consider the case - has agreed to an adjournment of a judicial review that was supposed to start in the next few days.

The judicial review into whether Mr McKinnon - a former Highgate Wood pupil - should be extradited to the America to face charges of hacking into US defence department and NASA computers, was granted last week.

The potponement will give Ms May an opportunity to look at the case of Mr McKinnon, who admitted hacking into the computers.

While the US Government alleges this was a deliberate attempt to breach their systems, his supporters have argued for seven years that the Mr McKinnon, who has Asperger's Syndrome, was searching for evidence of UFOs and should be tried in the UK.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The home secretary has considered the proposal from Gary McKinnon's legal team and has agreed an adjournment should be sought. An application to the court is being made today."

Mr McKinnon's lawyer Karen Todner said she hoped it was a "signal of a more compassionate and caring home secretary".