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Tesco chief executive Terry Leahy has been named the most influential unelected person in the UK.

He tops a list selected by a panel of journalists and business figures for the Guardian Unlimited website, which also features a number of other senior figures from the world of business and finance.

Second in the list is Bank of England governor Mervyn King, who chairs the monetary policy committee's (MPC's) monthly meeting which decides the direction of interest rates. Another MPC member, Kate Barker, also featured in 37th place.

Virgin supremo Richard Branson was sixth while Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, was 12th.

Senior figures in the media also feature highly. Paul Dacre, editor of the Daily Mail, was placed third while BBC director general Mark Thompson came 18th. Publicist Max Clifford was 22nd while the Sun's editor, Rebekah Wade, was 28th.

The list also has room for celebrities and others whose popularity gives them a broad audience base which it cannot help but influence.

Simon Cowell is the highest of these, placed fifth, while Kate Moss (ninth), JK Rowling (13th) and television presenters Richard Madely and Judy Finnigan (27th) were also given the nod.