A US judge has denied a request to delay the trial of a Briton charged with attempting to blow up a plane with a bomb in his shoe.
Richard Reid's lawyers requested the start of his trial be postponed from November 4th until early next year.
They said they needed more time to get security clearance for bringing an expert in on the case.
Reid, 29, of Brixton, is charged with attempting to detonate explosives aboard an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.
Crew members and passengers subdued him, and the flight was diverted to Boston.
The Boston judge has rejected the request to delay the trial, but ordered prosecutors to speed up government clearance of the defence witness.
"I said that Mr Reid was entitled to the most professional and vigorous defence that society can afford, and I meant it, but we are going to trial on the 4th of November," said the judge.
He added he might reconsider if the defence's expert is not given clearance by September 27.
Prosecutors have said Reid was trained in Afghanistan by Osama bin Laden's al Qaida terrorist network.
PA
