Plebgate fallout: Andrew Mitchell to sue the Sun
But Scotland Yard report into the incident finds no evidence of police lying
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Sign up to our free breaking news emails
Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell will sue the Sun over its report during the "Plebgate" affair.
As Mitchell admits, he had an ill-tempered argument with police officers at the gates to Downing St in September last year, when they wouldn't let him ride his bike through the main gate. The following day, the Sun reported that in an expletive-infested rant, he called the officers "plebs".
Such a furore was caused by the allegation that after a month of bad press, Mitchell resigned as Chief Whip.
He insists that he never used that word, and that he fell victim of a deliberate campaign to "toxify" the Conservatives and ruin his career.
He confirmed last night that his lawyers had issued a libel writ against the Sun, which broke the story, and a friend said the MP had been subjected to a "campaign of vilification".
A spokesman for the newspaper said it stood by its story "and will defend this claim vigorously".