Medical opinion - as reported here, is that pancreatic cancer will kill the man in about three months. It is not an exact science - but it hardly matters.

I fail to see how putting a man on trial for a crime for which he has already been found guilty would achieve anything, though as Libya is hardly likely to hand over Mr al Megrahi to the questionable custody of the USA it is never going to happen anyway.

The man is ill and plainly it was put to him that if he withdrew his apppeal then he could be repatriated almost at once - it is fairly clear that the Libians have been expecting his return for several days. He must know that he has little time left - perhaps after ten years he can see no profit in continuing to appeal against the conviction, though he still protests against it.

I feel that releasing Mr al Megrahi was the right thing to do, in a Christian country, and that the Scottish justice secretary did try to explain this so that people who appear to have no comprehension of Judeo-Christian teachings could understand his decision.

Anne Croucher