The trial of Simon Mann, the Old Etonian and former SAS officer accused of masterminding a botched coup in Equatorial Guinea, is facing delays amid fears that an attempt may be made to break him out of jail.

Mr Mann, 55, was extradited to Equatorial Guinea from Zimbabwe in January and has since been held in the tiny oil-rich nation's notorious Black Beach prison where he is awaiting trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the government four years ago.

Heightened security around the capital has contributed to an atmosphere of paranoia surrounding the trial. In one bizarre incident this week journalists from British media outlets were briefly held captive by the deputy information minister inside her office as she harangued them for not having authorisation to be working in Equatorial Guinea and for having an agenda to show the country in its worst light.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has protested to the Equatoguinean authorities after one of its diplomats was refused access to Mr Mann last week.

But the country’s Attorney-General told The Times yesterday that the British diplomat, a consul based in neighbouring Nigeria, was rebuffed because he failed to follow official channels. Jose Olo Obono said that Mr Mann’s presence in Equatorial Guinea was creating security problems for the government that the British authorities were not taking into account. His trial had been expected to begin next week, but a series of arrests this month and the discovery of an arms cache at a Spanish port on a vessel bound for Equatorial Guinea have widened the judicial investigation.

“We have constant warnings that special forces will come to try to liberate Mann,” Mr Obono said. As a consequence Mr Mann is handcuffed and shackled at all times. He has access to an exercise yard, where he can associate with Nick du Toit, a South African mercenary who is serving 33 years for his role in the coup attempt.

Video cameras have been installed in the prison to monitor Mr Mann because the authorities also believe that his associates may plan to silence him through assassination. His food is also prepared separately and his prison uniform trousers have been exchanged for shorts after another inmate was strangled to death with his trousers.

Mr Obono said that a renewed request for diplomatic access to Mr Mann would be accepted once it had gone through the proper channels.

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