‘False claim’ fuelled plebgate row

THE “plebgate” row that engulfed Andrew Mitchell was allegedly fuelled by a police officer who posed as a member of the public and falsely claimed to have witnessed the events.

The officer is said to have written to his local MP giving details of the Chief Whip’s behaviour when he was blocked from cycling out of the main gates in Downing Street.

Number 10 said the claims – which emerged after a member of the diplomatic protection squad was arrested – were “exceptionally serious”.

Hillsborough verdict may be quashed

THE High Court is being asked today to quash the original accidental death inquest verdicts returned after 96 Liverpool football fans died in the crush at Hillsborough 23 years ago.

An application by Attorney General Dominic Grieve, the Government’s chief law officer, will be considered by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge and two other judges.

Some of the families of victims of the 1989 tragedy, who have campaigned to have verdicts overturned, are due to attend the hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

Tumour row boy to have new op

A seven-year-old boy at the centre of a legal dispute over cancer treatment will undergo more surgery on a brain tumour today – against his mother’s wishes.

Sally Roberts wanted an operation on her son Neon delayed until more doctors had been consulted about the need for further surgery.

But a High Court judge yesterday ruled the surgery should go ahead after a specialist said an operation needed to be carried out urgently.

Savile Newsnight report due out

THE review into Newsnight’s shelving of a report into Jimmy Savile’s decades long campaign of sexual abuse is due to be released today.

Witnesses including top BBC executives and journalists on the flagship current affairs show have given evidence, some under questioning from a QC, into why a planned news report on the DJ did not go ahead.

The BBC has repeatedly denied claims it axed the show because it clashed with planned tributes to the late DJ who died in 2011.

Internet message ‘crimes’ clarified

FEWER criminal charges are likely to be brought against people who post offensive messages on Twitter or Facebook, under new guidelines set out by Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC.

But the question of whether the country needs new laws to deal with offensive posts on social media is a question for Parliament, Mr Starmer said.

Criminal prosecutions against people posting offensive online messages have controversially mushroomed in the past 18 months.