A SECOND protest in support of computer hacker and ex-Highgate Wood pupil, Gary McKinnon, will be held at the weekend. Mr McKinnon, 42, who has been accused of hacking into US army and naval systems from his Crouch End home in 2002, is currently awaiting

A SECOND protest in support of computer hacker and ex-Highgate Wood pupil, Gary McKinnon, will be held at the weekend.

Mr McKinnon, 42, who has been accused of hacking into US army and naval systems from his Crouch End home in 2002, is currently awaiting news of his imminent extradition to the US after he lost his appeal in the European courts last month.

Dozens of supporters gathered at a protest outside the Home Office on September 2.

Mr McKinnon's lawyer, Karen Todner, has lodged two requests to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, asking her to stop his extradition and have him tried in the UK.

Ms Todner said this week: "We are waiting to hear from the Home Secretary and we are hopeful of a positive response.

"I've received no indication of when we will receive some respo-nse but they must be thinking it over. Gary is pretty unwell and very anxious about the whole situation."

The next protest will be on September 28 at 4pm outside the US embassy in Grosvenor Square.