China deports Peter Humphrey and his wife

Humphrey, who is British, and Yu Yingzeng, an American, left Shanghai at around midday on a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London, the couple's son, Harvey Humphrey, said in a message to Reuters sent via a family friend.

They were sentenced last August for illegally obtaining private records of Chinese citizens and selling the information to clients including pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

"I am extremely glad that this ordeal will be over by this afternoon," the son said.

Humphrey worked for Reuters in the 1980s and 1990s.

He was seven months away from completing a two-and-a-half-year sentence. Yu was originally set to be freed in July. Their sentences were reduced earlier this month. Humphrey was reported to have been released for hospital tests relating to cancer. 

Their risk consultancy ChinaWhys had been asked by GSK to compile a report into the origins of a sex video involving the drug company's former China head, Mark Reilly, which had been sent to senior executives at GSK along with anonymous e-mails alleging corruption. ■