The European Court of Human Rights has rejected a case brought by The Times and investigative journalist Dominic Kennedy over the Charity Commission’s refusal to disclose documents relating to its investigation into a fund to five medical help to Iraqi children.

The First Section of the Strasbourg court held that the application by newspaper and Kennedy was inadmissible because they had not exhausted all the potential remedies in the English courts.

Campaign for Freedom of Information director Maurice Frankel said yesterday’s decision was “very disappointing”.