A former British policeman accused of bugging a Muslim member of parliament and a terror suspect in prison said on Tuesday he felt under pressure to carry out the operation even though he thought it was unjustified.

Mark Kearney, a former detective sergeant, said in a statement issued by his lawyers that there was “significant pressure” from colleagues in London’s Metropolitan police force to “covertly record a social visit between a terrorist detainee and a member of parliament”.