A top loyalist seeking to ban the media from disclosing his new identity and whereabouts has succeeded in his bid to be screened from public view when he gives evidence in court.

But a judge also ruled that a small number of people who may be called to testify about Mark Haddock’s alleged crime regime will be allowed to sit close enough to the witness box to view him.

Haddock, who was at the centre of a major police collusion case, is due to be freed from prison within months after serving a 10-year sentence for attacking a nightclub doorman.

Amid claims that he is under imminent death threat, he wants an injunction to stop the disclosure of any future address of him and his partner, photographs of the pair and any change of identity.

With the north Belfast man set to give evidence in person when his case is heard at the High Court next month, he applied to have himself shielded from public view when he attends.

His lawyers argued that he has attempted to disguise himself in a bid to escape identification by any would-be assassins.

They said an attempt on his life was inevitable if he stayed in Northern Ireland after his release, and disclosed that police warned him in June of a high level of threat to his life.

Haddock’s altered appearance — which does not involve cosmetic surgery — was partly due to the physical impact of injuries from a previous gun attack, the court was told. He is also in the process of changing his name by deed poll as part of his security arrangements.

But John Larkin QC, for the BBC and The Irish News, argued that his clients should be allowed to call people who may recognise Haddock by appearance and could identify him as being involved in serious crime.

Ruling on the screening application, Mr Justice Deeny said he was satisfied there was enough evidence to show Haddock will be at real risk of attack in the near future when released from prison.

The judge said: "If he appears in a public court to pursue his action, without special order, any member of the public, including persons bearing ill towards him, would be able to come in and study his appearance over a period of time while he was examined and cross-examined.

"I will grant the plaintiff the application sought that he be screened at the hearing of this civil action, save that he be visible not only to the judge and court officials but to the legal advisors on both sides and to a very small number of persons chosen by Mr Larkin QC on behalf of the defendants." Mr Justice Deeny said this limited group could sit close enough to the witness box to see Haddock.

"At least one of them, and I do not specify more exactly, will be a potential witness against him but one or more of the mothers may not be," he added.

"This addresses the point made by Mr Larkin that the plaintiff will be able to see these potential witnesses and that as he has been described as a dangerous man by Mr Justice Weatherup and convicted of a serious offence, the court should address the legitimate concerns of those witnesses.

Haddock was shot up to six times in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim while out on bail in 2006.