The White House will be forced to respond to a United Nations’ request to meet with imprisoned US soldier Bradley Manning thanks to supporters.

More than 5,000 people have signed a White House online petition in support of the 23- year-old Private who studied for his GCSEs at Tasker Milward School, Haverfordwest, and still has family in the area.

According to the website’s rules, the White House must now respond to the issues raised in the petition, including requests to allow a United Nations torture investigator to make an official visit to Bradley and answering supporters’ calls for his freedom.

Juan Mendez, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, has made repeated requests to the Obama administration to conduct an official meeting with Bradley in response to allegations that he was subjected to severe conditions of confinement while being held at a Marine brig in Quantico, Virginia.