The Observer has stuck by claims published over the weekend that the US secret service had struck secret espionage deals with European countries, despite the story being pulled late on Saturday night.

The splash by reporter Jamie Doward originally ran on the Guardian website on Saturday night and was on the front page of first editions of The Observer. But it was taken down from the site around midnight and the front page was changed for later print editions.

A spokesperson for Guardian News & Media said the story was withdrawn because of “concerns” over its source.