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'Plebgate': Police officers to face MPs over Mitchell meeting 'Plebgate': Police officers 'misled the public' about Mitchell meeting
(35 minutes later)
Three police officers accused of trying to discredit former chief whip Andrew Mitchell during the "plebgate" incident are set to appear before MPs. Three police officers "misled the public" about what former chief whip Andrew Mitchell said at a meeting about the "plebgate" row, MPs have been told.
They are accused of misrepresenting Mr Mitchell after a meeting they had following claims he called Downing Street police officers "plebs". Chief Inspector Jerry Reakes-Williams, who led an inquiry into the October 2012 meeting, said he believed the trio should face disciplinary action.
Mr Mitchell, who has always denied the claim, later resigned from the cabinet.
The officer who led an inquiry into the trio's conduct said he believed they may have "misled" the public.
Chief Inspector Jerry Reakes-Williams, Professional Standards Warwickshire and West Mercia Police, said he believed the officers concerned should face disciplinary proceedings for not giving a proper account when they briefed journalists about what Mr Mitchell said at the meeting in October 2012.
However, he said he did not believe they had deliberately lied.However, he said he did not believe they had deliberately lied.
Also on Wednesday, the officers' chief constables are due to appear before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee, to be questioned about why they decided the three should not face disciplinary action over their meeting with Mr Mitchell. Mr Mitchell, who resigned over the row, has challenged the officers' version of what was said at the meeting.
The BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Norman Smith said the war of words in recent days between politicians and the police meant that it would be a lively session. Mr Reakes-Williams, head of Professional Standards Warwickshire and West Mercia Police, led the review into the officers' account of the meeting in Sutton Coldfield.
The row between Mr Mitchell and the police intensified after the original allegation, that he called police "plebs" for not allowing him to ride his bike through the Downing Street gates in September 2012, when three representatives of the Police Federation met the MP at his constituency office in Sutton Coldfield weeks later. The meeting took place weeks after an altercation at the gates of Downing Street where Mr Mitchell was accused of swearing at police and calling them "plebs" - allegations that he has always denied.
In a briefing after the meeting, the officers told journalists that Mr Mitchell had refused to elaborate on what he did or did not say during the original incident.
Mr Mitchell insists a transcript of the meeting, which he secretly recorded, shows that he expressly denied that he used the word "pleb".
Mr Reakes-Williams told the Home Affairs Select Committee that the officers' comments to the media "may have had the impact of misleading the public about what happened" as they had given the impression that Mr Mitchell had not sought to explain what happened outside Downing Street.
However, he said he did not believe there had been "a deliberate intention to mislead" as there was "sufficient room for doubt" that Andrew Mitchell had given "an absolutely full account" of the original incident.
The row between Mr Mitchell and the police intensified after the original allegation, that he called police "plebs" for not allowing him to ride his bike through the Downing Street gates in September 2012, when three representatives of the Police Federation met the MP at his constituency office weeks later.
The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, was at the time involved in a dispute with the government over changes to police pay and employment conditions.The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, was at the time involved in a dispute with the government over changes to police pay and employment conditions.
According to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Mr Mitchell thought he was meeting Insp Ken MacKaill, of West Mercia Police, Det Sgt Stuart Hinton, of Warwickshire Police, and Sgt Chris Jones, of West Midlands Police, to "clear the air".According to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Mr Mitchell thought he was meeting Insp Ken MacKaill, of West Mercia Police, Det Sgt Stuart Hinton, of Warwickshire Police, and Sgt Chris Jones, of West Midlands Police, to "clear the air".
'Professional judgement''Professional judgement'
However, in comments made after the meeting, one of the officers, Inspector MacKaill, claimed the former chief whip would not provide an account of the incident, and called for his resignation.However, in comments made after the meeting, one of the officers, Inspector MacKaill, claimed the former chief whip would not provide an account of the incident, and called for his resignation.
But Mr Mitchell had recorded the meeting, and a transcript showed that he apologised for swearing at the police officers and had denied using the word "plebs".But Mr Mitchell had recorded the meeting, and a transcript showed that he apologised for swearing at the police officers and had denied using the word "plebs".
West Mercia Police conducted an internal investigation into claims the three officers were trying to discredit Mr Mitchell and concluded that there was no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.West Mercia Police conducted an internal investigation into claims the three officers were trying to discredit Mr Mitchell and concluded that there was no case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.
It said that there was no deliberate intention to lie to journalists. But last week the IPCC - which oversaw the West Mercia investigation - said it disagreed.It said that there was no deliberate intention to lie to journalists. But last week the IPCC - which oversaw the West Mercia investigation - said it disagreed.
Deputy chair of the IPCC Deborah Glass, who will also give evidence on Wednesday, said: "In my opinion the evidence indicates an issue of honesty and integrity, not merely naive or poor professional judgement."Deputy chair of the IPCC Deborah Glass, who will also give evidence on Wednesday, said: "In my opinion the evidence indicates an issue of honesty and integrity, not merely naive or poor professional judgement."
The officers have since said they regret giving the statement, but Mr Mitchell's allies have dubbed this a "regretful non-apology" and called for root-and-branch changes to increase police accountability.The officers have since said they regret giving the statement, but Mr Mitchell's allies have dubbed this a "regretful non-apology" and called for root-and-branch changes to increase police accountability.
The officers' chief constables are due to appear before MPs on Wednesday, to be questioned about why they decided the three should not face disciplinary action over their meeting with Mr Mitchell.
'Very unsatisfactory''Very unsatisfactory'
Asked whether he believed the apology should be the end of the matter, former policing minister Nick Herbert said: "No, I don't think it is enough."Asked whether he believed the apology should be the end of the matter, former policing minister Nick Herbert said: "No, I don't think it is enough."
The Conservative MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It doesn't square with the IPCC findings that there is a case to answer for serious misconduct.The Conservative MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It doesn't square with the IPCC findings that there is a case to answer for serious misconduct.
"The wording of the IPCC report, let's just remind ourselves, was incredibly strong."The wording of the IPCC report, let's just remind ourselves, was incredibly strong.
"They suggest that the police officers gave a false account, that there was a deliberate attempt to discredit Andrew Mitchell, that their motives seem plain: they were pursuing a political agenda."They suggest that the police officers gave a false account, that there was a deliberate attempt to discredit Andrew Mitchell, that their motives seem plain: they were pursuing a political agenda.
"Now when the independent body says this, it is surely right that action is taken and it is very unsatisfactory that we have a situation where the leadership of the police force appears to disagree and take no action in spite of the view of the independent body that was set up to deal with complaints.""Now when the independent body says this, it is surely right that action is taken and it is very unsatisfactory that we have a situation where the leadership of the police force appears to disagree and take no action in spite of the view of the independent body that was set up to deal with complaints."
Eight people, including five police officers, have been arrested and bailed over the original altercation at the security gates to Downing Street amid claims that details of the incident were falsified.Eight people, including five police officers, have been arrested and bailed over the original altercation at the security gates to Downing Street amid claims that details of the incident were falsified.
The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering charges.The Crown Prosecution Service is currently considering charges.
Meanwhile, a ComRes poll for the BBC suggests 82% of people are still likely to believe what the police say.
Of the 1,000 people questioned, 67% said plebgate had made "no difference" to their opinion, while 26% responded that it had made them "slightly less" or "much less" likely to trust the police.