The Daily Mirror newspaper has named the source who supplied it with Moors murderer Ian Brady's medical documents.

The anonymity of journalist Robin Ackroyd had been protected for almost three years by the newspaper until it lost a legal battle on Thursday in the House of Lords.

Mr Ackroyd, a freelance reporter, 'outs' himself in the newspaper's Friday edition for providing private medical documents from Ashworth Hospital where Brady, 64, is held.

The protection of journalistic sources is far more important than Ashworth Hospital or Ian Brady

Robin Ackroyd

Five Law Lords ruled on Thursday the newspaper should name its source because medical documents must always remain confidential.

Mr Ackroyd has refused to name his original sources from the hospital who supplied him with documents about Brady which he then supplied to the Daily Mirror.

The documents were a log of the killer's moods and activities while he was on hunger strike in protest about a ward move.

Mr Ackroyd said no source received cash payments.

"No one I dealt with during my inquiries asked for payment, nor were they paid," he said.

Hospital inquiry

"Brady's hunger strike is wholly exceptional.

"There is no likelihood of anything similar happening in the future.

"The Daily Mirror investigation used extracts which were effectively a running log of events on Brady's ward, compiled by different members of staff.

"The log was held on a computer database at Ashworth.

"These were not Brady's medical records."

He said about 200 staff, psychologists, nurses and social workers had access to the log and could print it off without anyone knowing.

Brady was convicted along with Myra Hindley of several murders

Mr Ackroyd said he would not reveal his sources in the interests of press freedom and the public.

"Journalists cannot expect people to come forward with information in confidence if we do not keep these confidences," he said.

"The protection of journalistic sources is far more important than Ashworth Hospital or Ian Brady."

The court ruling comes after the Mirror published an article in December 1999 which included verbatim extracts from Brady's medical log while he was on hunger strike.

Mr Justice Rougier first ordered the disclosure of the source in April 2000 and the Court of Appeal upheld his decision in December the same year.

But the identity of the source is not known.

Breach of confidence

The newspaper does know the name of the intermediary whose identity would lead to identifying the source.

The Law Lords ruled the source who withdrew information from the hospital database acted in breach of confidence and contract.

And they ruled that when the Mirror accepted the data, it became involved in the wrongdoing.

Brady was jailed for life in 1966 with accomplice Myra Hindley for the murders of children Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans.

The child-killer received a concurrent life sentence for murdering 12-year-old John Kilbride.

The pair later confessed to the killings of Pauline Reade, 16, and Keith Bennett burying their bodies on Saddleworth Moor, on the edge of the Peak District overlooking Manchester.