Renewed pressure on Scotland Yard in ‘Plebgate’ row

Scotland Yard is under renewed pressure to allow an independent watchdog investigation of the “Plebgate” affair after Andrew Mitchell issued a formal complaint against it.

The senior Tory MP, who quit the Cabinet amid a storm over claims he called officers “plebs”, accused the Metropolitan Police of a sustained campaign to “destroy” his career. He has called on the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to look into the apparent leaking of details of the findings of the probe into his claims that he was framed.

“We are deeply dismayed that the Metropolitan Police appear to have leaked part of their report prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service to certain members of the press and spun it to the advantage of the police officers involved,” Mr Mitchell wrote.

In a letter to IPCC deputy chairman Deborah Glass, he went on: “This was an inquiry into a dishonest and illicit attempt to blacken my name and destroy my career.”

A number of newspapers carried reports that documents submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service last week contained no evidence that officers had lied.