PC at centre of 'plebgate' row accepts £80k in damages

The police officer at the centre of the so-called "Plebgate" incident has accepted £80,000 damages in settlement of his libel action against former Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

Pc Toby Rowland was awarded the sum at the conclusion of his defamtion case against the Conservative MP at the High Court in London today.

Last November, Mr Mitchell, who strongly denied using the word "pleb", lost a high-profile action against News Group Newspapers, publishers of the Sun.

A judge had declared that he was "satisfied" Mitchell had used the "politically-toxic" word in September 2012 when he was not allowed to cycle through the main Downing Street vehicle gates.