MANCHESTER's gay community is supporting a campaign to clear computer pioneer Alan Turing's name.

Turing, a Second World War codebreaker and early pioneer of computing who was based at Manchester University, was prosecuted for gross indecency in 1952 after admitting sex with another man. He committed suicide two years later.

A petition calling for an official apology from the government over the scientist's treatment has now been signed by more than 4,000 people.

Support has come from Manchester's gay community - who have voted Turing one of history's top gay icons in a recent poll ahead of the city's gay pride week.

 Andrew Gilliver, correct from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation, said: "The community have long campaigned for more recognition of Alan Turing and it is fitting that there is a statue of Turing in Sackville Gardens, in the heart of the city's gay village.

"We are strongly supporting the petition to achieve a posthumous apology."

Scientists at Manchester University's maths department - named in Turing's honour - are also quietly backing the campaign. But they believe further recognition of the scientist, who also has an east Manchester road named after him, would be more appropriate than a government apology.

Symbolic

Bill Lionheart, a lecturer who has studied the history of mathematics in Manchester, said: "An apology might have a symbolic purpose but there is definitely a

sense that he wasn't adequately recognised in his time and possibly still isn't today.

"Some people say naming a motorway bypass after a famous scientist is something of a back-hand compliment. It would be great if a more prominent street in the city or near the university was named in his honour."

Although Turing was rejected by many of his establishment contemporaries and his codebreaking access taken away from him by the British government, he did not lose his job at Manchester University and retained the support of many of his colleagues.

His colleague and mentor, Max Newman, a respected mathematician in his own right, provided a character reference at Turing's trial and reportedly refused an OBE in protest over the scientist's treatment.

Statues and blue plaques have been erected in honour of the Cambridge-educated mathematician.

Since the M.E.N reported the campaign, thousands more have added their names to the petition on the Downing Street website, calling for the government to 'recognise the tragic consequences of prejudice'.

Documentary

Among those backing the campaign are philosopher Richard Dawkins - author of best-selling book The God Delusion - who is due to present a Channel 4 documentary about Turing.

The petition was launched by a top programmer John Graham-Cumming, famous for inventing spam-filtering software.

Downing Street said they would respond to the request in January when the internet petition has closed. However, previous government apologies over historical injustice have been met with scepticism.

Former prime minister Tony Blair was attacked for expressing 'sorrow' over Britain's role over the slave trade, with some claiming the gesture 'irrelevant'.

Campaign to win official apology for Turing

Plaque will honour genius Turing