Celebrity waiting to hear whether he can take sex story case to Supreme Court

A celebrity who wants to keep his name out of a tabloid newspaper story is waiting to hear whether he can take his case to the Supreme Court.

The man lost the latest round of his legal battle on Monday when three Court of Appeal judges ruled that an injunction barring The Sun on Sunday from naming him should be lifted.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman said on Tuesday that Supreme Court justices were considering a written application from the man's lawyers.

She said they would decide whether to give him permission to launch a Supreme Court challenge.

Appeal judges have said the injunction will stay in place until 1pm on Wednesday - to give the man time to make his application to the Supreme Court.

Sun on Sunday editors want to publish an account of the man's alleged extra-marital activities.

But the man had argued that he had a privacy right and took legal action.

The newspaper won the first round in January when a High Court judge refused to impose an injunction barring publication.

But the man appealed - and two appeal court judges ruled in his favour.

Lord Justice Jackson and Lady Justice King imposed an injunction preventing the newspaper from identifying the man in an article.

Lawyers for News Group Newspapers, publishers of The Sun on Sunday, then asked three appeal judges to lift the ban after the man's identity emerged online.

They told Lord Justice Jackson, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Simon at a Court of Appeal hearing in London on Friday that the ban should go because the man has been named in articles abroad - outside the legal jurisdiction of England and Wales - and his name could be found on the internet.

The man opposed the application and said the ban should stay.

Lord Justice Jackson, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Simon ruled in the newspaper's favour on Monday.