The Czech President, Vaclav Havel, has withdrawn a high Czech honour which was to be given to the former Mayor of Vienna, Helmut Zilk, after allegations that Mr Zilk worked for the secret police of Communist Czechoslovakia.

The President also asked for documents related to the case to be made public.

The allegations were made by a former director Vaclav Benda of the institute investigating crimes committed by the Communist regime.

He says Mr Zilk worked as a paid agent for the Communist secret police in the late 1960s.

Mr Zilk has denied the allegations.