Businessman David Mabey has lost his bid to clear his name after judges said he was given a fair trial.

Former managing director Mabey was one of two men jailed for paying "kickbacks" to Saddam Hussein's regime to win steel bridge contracts for Lydney firm Mabey Johnson.

The firm changed its name after being fined £5m in 2009 for breaching UN sanctions.

Ex-sales director Richard Forsyth, 62, of Hampshire, and David Guy Mabey, 50, of Berkshire, were both found guilty of making payments in breach of UN sanctions at Southwark Crown Court in February.

Forsyth was jailed for 21 months and Mabey eight months and ordered to pay substantial costs.

Richard Gledhill, 64, from Watford was given a suspended sentence after admitting acting as a salesman "on the ground" in Iraq.

Lawyers told London's Criminal Appeal Court Mabey's and Forsyth's convictions should be overturned as "unsafe" because the trial judge misdirected the jury.

Dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Hughes said that, although it would have been better for certain points in the summing up to be expressed in "more neutral terms" there was "no unfairness" to the defendants.

The appeal judge, sitting with Mr Justice Owen and Mrs Justice Lang, added: "We are unconvinced that there was anything unsafe about these convictions."