UK/IRAQ: The Daily Mirror's editor says a new witness has come forward to claim some UK troops abused Iraqi prisoners.
Piers Morgan says a soldier from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment has a dossier including claims of "appalling beatings" by a small "rogue element".
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed the man has approached military police to discuss the claims.
And Mr Morgan is standing by the photos of alleged abuse by soldiers already published by the newspaper.
The new claims come after British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair branded any abuses "inexcusable". Military experts have questioned the authenticity of the pictures of alleged abuse of an Iraqi by UK troops published in the Mirror over the weekend.
No information is available from the MoD about any arrests relating to those pictures.
Mr Morgan told the BBC last night the new witness, "Soldier C", was not involved in the photographed incident and cannot verify the pictures. The Daily Mirror insists the photos are genuine.
He was serving in Iraq with the regiment concerned, the Queen's Lancashire, at the same time last summer. And he has produced a "very disturbing dossier" detailing abuses on at least four separate occasions by "a rogue element of that regiment against Iraqi POW detainees", says Mr Morgan. It includes claims of "appalling beatings" and names soldiers', including some in the senior ranks whom "he says were culpable in allowing this to happen".
The editor says the abuse claims only centre on five or six soldiers whom the newspaper's new source believes "created a culture of fear and intimidation towards POWs which went way beyond any guidelines".
"Soldier C" is now giving evidence to the military police investigation team at his own request, he says.
The Mirror has come under fire over the original abuse pictures but its editor says the issue is being trivialised by a "media firestorm" about his own position. As far as he is concerned the pictures are "genuine images highlighting genuine incidents of abuse". Mr Morgan refuses to say whether he would resign if the photos are proved to be fakes, saying: "I am not queasy or worried about them."
He also challenges the Ministry of Defence to act on the allegations. The newspaper has handed 20 photos to the military police officers who are investigating the claims.
Mr Morgan is already set to be questioned by MPs on the Commons defence select committee about the photos.
Earlier, the chairman of Trinity Mirror plc, which owns the newspaper, said he stood by Mr Morgan's decision to publish photos.
Sir Victor Blank said that it was the paper's job to root out "bad apples".
Mr Blair has said it would be "extremely serious" if the photos prove to be fake and promises the claims are being thoroughly investigated.