A former British soldier who is suspected of being in the IRA can be extradited to that country, a Czech court has ruled.
Mr Michael Dickson, a former soldier from Greenock, Strathclyde, Scotland, has been on the run since 1996. He is accused of helping carry out a mortar attack on a British army base in Germany and is wanted in Britain and Germany.
Mr Dickson was arrested in December as he tried to smuggle cigarettes into the Czech Republic. He immediately appealed against the ruling yesterday by the Prague municipal court, which has to be approved by the Czech justice minister.
Mr Dickson (38) once served with the Royal Engineers at the Osnabrueck base, which was hit by three IRA mortars on June 28th 1996. The attack caused extensive damage but no injuries.
Northumbria Police also want to talk to Mr Dickson about the attempted murder of former IRA informer Mr Martin McGartland on Tyneside in 1999.
AP/PA
