UK politician to sue tabloid
Mitchell had called the officers "plebs" that is a derogatory term for working-class people.
LONDON (AP) - A British politician who lost his Cabinet post after an altercation with police is suing a tabloid newspaper for libel for allegedly misreporting the event.
Lawyer Grahan Atkins, says he has issued a libel writ on behalf of Andrew Mitchell against the Rupert Murdoch-owned Sun, which broke the "Plebgate" story in September.
Mitchell resigned as chief whip after arguing with police who refused to let him ride his bicycle through the gates of London s Downing St, where the prime minister lives.
The Sun reported that Mitchell had sworn at the officers and called them "plebs" a derogatory term for working-class people. Mitchell denies using the term.
In a statement late Thursday, The Sun said it stood by its story "and will defend this claim vigorously."
