Lecturer Rod Thornton to leave Nottingham University after terror row

Dr Thornton questioned the support the university had offered to the arrested men

A University of Nottingham lecturer who criticised the arrest of a student under the Terrorism Act has left his job "by mutual agreement".

Dr Rod Thornton was suspended after he claimed the university told "lies" after Rizwaan Sabir's arrest in 2008.

In a joint statement, the university and Dr Thornton said an article by the academic, published on a website, contained a number of inaccuracies.

He also apologised for any offence and distress caused to colleagues.

In May 2008, counter-terrorism officers arrested and questioned Mr Sabir along with Hicham Yezza, who worked as the principal school administrator at the university's School of Modern Languages.

'Serious misunderstanding'

Mr Sabir had downloaded a book called The Al Qaeda Training Manual but said it was research for a dissertation.

Six days later both men were released without charge.

Dr Thornton, who worked in the School of Politics and International Relations, questioned the support the university had offered and was later suspended.

His situation attracted support from leading figures from universities around the world, including US scholar Noam Chomsky.

The statement acknowledged that after the publication of the original article, the posting of "edited and incomplete material on the Scrib'd and Unileaks websites, (which was carried out without Dr Thornton's full permission and knowledge), had led to a serious misunderstanding of events at the university and of the motives of individuals who work there".