The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has blocked access to Wikileaks “because there is no compelling business reason to have the facility.”

The Guardian reported earlier in the week that the MOD had taken the action after
discovering that staff had been using the whistleblowing site to leak copies of British military manuals including those that are used by patrols in Iraq.

An email released following a freedom of information request, said: "There are thousands of things on here. Not just UK MOD but other places as well. Everything I clicked on to do with MOD was 'restricted'... It is huge."

However the MOD denied this was the case claiming access to the site during working hours was not necessary for business.

A representative for the organisation said: "While we would not choose to voluntarily disclose information previously published on Wikileaks, much of it is already available on open sources such as Jane's. Its publication on the Wikileaks website does not therefore raise significant concerns."

A Wikileaks representative said: "Wikileaks has many alternative names. MOD site blocking has not prevented dissident MOD staff providing us with material exposing the UK involvement in Iraq and elsewhere."