Head of CPS faces cross-party pressure to explain China spy trial collapse

Stephen Parkinson called on to give fuller explanation' as MI5 expresses frustration over charges being dropped

The director of public prosecutions has come under intense cross-party pressure to explain why the China spy trial collapsed as MI5 expressed frustration at the decision and MPs launched a series of inquiries into how it was taken.

The chairs of the home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and national security committees wrote together to Stephen Parkinson, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), on Thursday calling on him to give a fuller explanation for the dropping of charges".