Judge: Mosley has no expectation of privacy.

The video of what the News of the World claims is Max Mosley's 'sick Nazi orgy with 5 hookers' was described as 'demeaning and humiliating' by his lawyer and said to consist 'mainly of people spanking each others' bottoms', according to the judge presiding over the FIA President's legal challenge.

The High Court today threw out Mosley's bid to prevent the Sunday tabloid from re-instating the 90-second video clip on its website [see separate story - click here], after Mr Justice Eady ruled it would make 'little practical difference' to grant an injunction against the newspaper given that the video had since been viewed around the world. He reasoned that Mosley no longer had a reasonable expectation of privacy because the content of the video was now 'widely familiar'.

"[The footage is] very brief, containing shots of Mr Mosley taking part in sexual activities with five prostitutes," the BBC quotes the judge as having said, "and it also covers the tea break.

"The very brief extracts which I was shown seemed to consist mainly of people spanking each others' bottoms.

"I have, with some reluctance, come to the conclusion that although this material is intrusive and demeaning, and despite the fact that there is no legitimate public interest in its further publication, the granting of an order against this respondent at the present juncture would merely be a futile gesture."

According to the News of the World's legal manager Tom Crone, between 30 March - when the video was first published on the paper's website - and 31 March, when it was removed again, it was viewed a staggering 1,424,959 times.

Whilst Gavin Millar QC, for the News of the World, explained that only the footage that had already been made public would be aired on the website, he confirmed that a longer extract would be sent to the FIA, whose Senate is due to meet to discuss Mosley's future, though maybe not until July, when the 67-year-old's court case for breach of privacy against News Group Newspapers is expected to also be heard.

"It is merely disseminating demeaning and humiliating material," insisted James Price QC, for Mosley, arguing that there was no public interest in the video's footage.

Mosley was not in court to hear the verdict, and has repeatedly insisted his actions were 'harmless and completely legal', whilst vigorously denying any 'Nazi connotations' to the role-playing involved. He is continuing to stand firm in the face of mounting pressure form the sport's leading figures and manufacturers to step down from his position.