WE owe a debt of thanks to Mr Justice Tugendhat, the judge who rejected an injunction by footballer John Terry to stop newspapers publishing allegations about his private life.

There has been a worrying trend of the rich and powerful using “super-injunctions” under the cloak of the European Human Rights Convention to censor what is in the public interest.

And the allegations that John Terry, the captain of Chelsea and England, was cheating on the mother of his three-year-old twin girls is in the public interest.

It is in the public interest because the England captain is a role model who can considerably increase his earning power through his status with the national side.

John Terry has done just that. Indeed, he has gone out of his way to cash in on the England captaincy.

In return, he is expected to be a figure the fans and team-mates can look up to.

The fact that Terry’s alleged mistress was the ex-partner of England team-mate Wayne Bridge threatens to blow apart the spirit of togetherness so carefully built up by Fabio Capello.

Mr Justice Tugendhat has clarified the law, making it plain that the public interest is not only about exposing criminal activities, but behaviour which would be widely considered to be unacceptable.

For all his qualities on the pitch, it is now up to John Terry to clarify his position in the England team.

He should save Fabio Capello the job of sacking him – and hand in his resignation in the interests of England’s World Cup chances.

And while he’s at it, he should hand back his Dad of the Year award.