Tommy Sheridan accuses journalist of lying to harm him and boost her career

A JOURNALIST who told a court she visited a swingers' club with Tommy Sheridan has been accused of being a "hostile" witness determined to inflict damage and hurt with her "lies".

Former News of the World columnist Anvar Khan yesterday faced claims she had lied constantly during her two days of evidence at the High Court in Glasgow.

The claims came from former Scottish Socialist Party MSP Mr Sheridan, who is accused of perjury during his successful defamation action against the Sunday newspaper in 2006.

Mr Sheridan, conducting his own defence, put it to the witness: "Isn't it the case, Ms Khan, that to you and your News of the World friends, the truth is just a nuisance that sometimes gets in the way of a good story?" Ms Khan denied this.

She also faced further defence suggestions she was like a "fish on a hook", "wriggling" at every attempt to get a direct answer..

Mr Sheridan denies lying during the civil action more than four years ago which followed the newspaper's published claims he was an adulterer who visited swingers' clubs. He won 200,000 in damages.

Ms Khan previously told the perjury trial she visited Cupid's swingers' club in Manchester with Mr Sheridan, his brother-in-law Andrew McFarlane, Gary Clark and Katrine Trolle in September 2002. She said the encounter was one of several sexual experiences she had with Mr Sheridan and said she "believed" he was married when some of the liaisons took place.

They included having sex beneath a Che Guevara picture in Mr Sheridan's bedroom, the court heard.

Mr Sheridan cross-questioned Ms Khan for much of the hearing yesterday, accusing her of giving "untrue" evidence.

The statements from Mr Sheridan followed the suggestion by him - denied by Ms Khan - that she had used the issue of whether she would "co-operate" with the News of the World over the 2006 libel trial to help her own contract negotiations with the paper.

Mr Sheridan pointed to an e-mail said to have been sent by Ms Khan to the paper's editor weeks before the defamation action got under way. The e-mail said: "I am prepared to rethink my position, but then again, I've had nothing in writing from you regarding a new contract."

Ms Khan told the court she could not recall what this referred to.

Mr Sheridan asked: "You were rethinking whether you would co-operate with them before the libel case, weren't you? You wanted a new contract before you would give evidence, didn't you?

"You wanted to benefit financially before you would give evidence in the libel trial."

Ms Khan answered "No" each time.

Mr Sheridan and wife Gail, both 46 and from Glasgow, deny the charges.

The trial, before Lord Bracadale, is scheduled to continue next week.