Will of Britain's top IRA agent to be kept secret for next 70 years

The will of Britain's top agent inside the IRA will not be made public, the High Court ruled yesterday.

It is the first time the contents of a will – other than those of the Royal Family – has not been made available to the public.

Freddie Scappaticci, codenamed Stakeknife, was unmasked in 2003 as the UK's top agent in the IRA. He always denied the claims.

He died aged 77 in 2023 and yesterday Sir Julian Flaux ordered his will should be sealed for 70 years.

At a closed hearing in London on July 21, barristers for the Attorney General – representing the public interest – backed the case for keeping the will sealed.