I WAS intrigued by the headline "Tortious deal" given to my letter explaining the difference between "tortuous" and "torturous" in relation to post-Brexit negotiations (HAS, Sept 14).

I had to look up "tortious" in the dictionary. It is a legal term, referring to a "tort", which is a wrongful act leading to legal liability.

Could a Brexit deal be tortious? I doubt it. But it might be tortious to leave the EU without a deal, and refuse to pay the £39bn financial settlement, which covers Britain's agreed contributions to EU budgets till 2020, our outstanding commitments to various projects across the EU (some of which we will continue to benefit from) and our contribution towards the pensions of UK citizens working in EU institutions.

The EU would certainly be within its rights to seek redress through the International Court of Justice.

Pete Winstanley, Durham