Human rights groups yesterday urged David Cameron to honour his 2010 pledge to hold an independent, judge-led inquiry into allegations of British complicity in the US torture and rendition programme.

In a letter sent to Downing Street, the organisations argue that the publication of a damning report by the Senate select committee on intelligence earlier this month has highlighted not only the horrors of the CIA’s torture programme, but also “the UK’s failure as a country to put our own house in order.”

In December 2013 the government reneged on its pledge of an independent, judge-led inquiry and announced that the task would instead be passed to the Parliamentary intelligence and security committee (ISC).