It was reported that Mr Mitchell called a police officer a ‘pleb’ in an angry tirade last week. He admitted being rude to the officer but said he is “absolutely clear” he did not use the words that have been attributed to him.
Mr Mitchell, said he hopes to “draw a line” under the incident, after the police officer concerned accepted his personal apology. “It had been the end of a long and extremely frustrating day, not that it is any excuse at all for what happened. I have apologised to the police. I have apologised to the police officer involved on the gate and he has accepted my apology and I hope very much we can draw a line under it there. “ he added.
Met Police Federation chairman John Tully said Mr Mitchell words were “effectively now impugning the integrity of the police officers”, adding: “I think that’s very serious. Police officers are quite thick-skinned individuals and we are faced with far worse things than Mr Mitchell’s tirade daily. But what infuriates us so much on this occasion is that a minister is saying that police officers are liars. “
Mr Tully also called for the Prime Minister to make an inquiry into the full version of events, saying that if there is proof the chief whip lied, he should be sacked.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said: “What Andrew Mitchell said and what he did was not appropriate, it was wrong and it’s right he’s apologised.”
