LONDON, April 21 -- The former ‌top official in Britain's ​foreign ministry who was sacked ‌over Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ​ambassador said on Tuesday he had come under a ​lot of pressure from the prime minister's private office to resolve his ‌security clearance quickly.

Olly Robbins ⁠told a ⁠parliamentary select ⁠committee there was a "very ⁠strong" ⁠expectation that Mandelson needed to be ⁠in post as soon as possible.

"The focus was on getting Mandelson out to Washington quickly," he ⁠said.

"I think throughout January, honestly, my office, the foreign ⁠secretary's office, were under ⁠constant ⁠pressure," Robbins said.

"There wa...