Terry Waite, kidnapped in the Lebanon in 1987 and held for over four years declared that the Pentagon ought to thank ‘NASA hacker’ Gary McKinnon.

“Gary is clearly a very clever chap,” said Waite. “He has that unique ability to find his way through the internet jungle and enter the inner recesses of the Pentagon. Full marks for his ingenuity.”

He continued: “Was Gary a spy? Was he attempting to bring down the mighty military force of the USA? As far as I know he was not. He was simply looking for little green men.

Waite maintained that the Pentagon should thank Gary “for exposing the vulnerability of their systems,” adding that “More importantly, the accused is suffering from Asperger's syndrome and no nation under the sun ought to convict an individual whose behaviour is occasioned by illness.”

McKinnon’s mother and campaign coordinator, Janis Sharp, commented that “I feel as though Gary and our family have been hostages for the past seven years, so it's wonderful that a man like Terry Waite has spoken out for Gary.

“Hopefully Gary will also be free to live his life again one day soon, as he's not had the chance to have one carefree day for seven long years.”

Pop icon, Sting, recently told the Mail on Sunday that “it’s a travesty of human rights that Gary McKinnon finds himself in this dreadful situation,” and is concerned that “the British Government is prepared to hand over this vulnerable man without reviewing the evidence.”

McKinnon has previously gained the support from Mayor of London, Boris Johnson in an article written for the Telegraph in January.

Sharp has created an account with Twitter and is organising a ‘sing-in’ with a version of ‘Chicago’ by Graham Nash, arranged to catch President Obama’s attention when he visits London at the end of the month.