One of the faked pictures depicted a soldier urinating on an Iraqi

Stuart Mackenzie, 25, has been charged over the hoax which led to the sacking of Mirror editor Piers Morgan.

He appeared at the court martial centre in Catterick, North Yorkshire, in front of a Judge Advocate General.

Charges were not read out to Private Mackenzie, who is in the Territorials and from Haslingden, Lancashire.

The hearing was to swear in three panel members who will also officiate.

One photo was said to depict a Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR) soldier urinating on an Iraqi.

Doubts about the authenticity of the photographs were expressed by experts in the days following the publication and the MoD questioned at least one soldier in connection with the incident.

But a lorry shown in the shots had never been used in Iraq, a two month Royal Military police investigation concluded.

The newspaper's apology said: "We apologise for publishing pictures which we now believe were not genuine.

"We also say sorry to the Queen's Lancashire Regiment and our Army in Iraq for publishing those pictures."

Private MacKenzie works for the Inland Revenue.