On the Today programme this morning former Home Secretary Jack Straw and BBC presenter James Naughtie linked John Terry's name with the Stephen Lawrence murder trial as if the two were connected.

It happened in the last eight minutes of the programme.

John Terry is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. How can John Terry possibly have a fair trial when a supposedly responsible politician and a leading BBC news presenter have broadcast to millions, through the respected institution of the BBC, that he is no better than the murderers of Stephen Lawrence? This was a disgraceful smear, and makes it very unlikely that the John Terry trial will have any credibility.

Someone in the legal profession needs to ask these two clowns to explain themselves - perhaps they should be called into the trial (whenever it is held) to explain their contempt for the legal process?