British computer hacker Gary McKinnon will be extradited to the US after the European Court of Human Rights rejected his appeal.

McKinnon's lawyer Karen Todner said he could be extradited within a fortnight after losing his case at the court in Strasbourg, France.

The hacker fears he could face inhumane prison conditions if tried and convicted in the US. His lawyers also say sending him to the US would breach his human rights because he could be prosecuted on account of his nationality or political opinions.

In July, McKinnon lost his appeal at the High Court in London to block extradition to face charges over what US prosecutors call "the biggest military hack of all time".

McKinnon could face up to 70 years in prison if convicted of illegally accessing computers, including the Pentagon, US army, Navy and Nasa systems, and causing $700,000 (£381,727) worth of damage.

McKinnon has previously said he is just a computer nerd who wanted to find out whether aliens really existed and became obsessed with trawling large military networks for proof.

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