Nasa hacker petition tops 4,000

Over 4,000 people have now signed a petition that people with Asperger's Syndrome should not be extradited, directed at the Prime Minister's Office.

The petition directly refers to Gary McKinnon, the man accused by US prosecutors of "the biggest military hack of all time." McKinnon was diagnosed with Asperger's, a condition on the autism spectrum, last summer, and faces extradition to the US to face hacking charges.

McKinnon's mother, Janis Sharp, told ZDNet UK last week that McKinnon was "stressed out of his head".

"It's a scary thing when you are dragged away from your own country," said Sharp.

The petition has had a number of deadlines extended -- the latest one is the 22 June.