Neville’s girlfriend awarded libel damages

THE girlfriend of Manchester United and England football star Gary Neville accepted “substantial” libel damages yesterday over newspaper allegations that she was unfaithful to him during the Euro 2004 championship.

Mr Justice Eady, sitting in the High Court in London, heard Emma Hadfield had been “devastated” by the publication of the allegations in The Sun. Her solicitor Rachel Atkins told the judge that a “sensational” article concerning Miss Hadfield was published by the newspaper on August 4, last year.

She said: “The article claimed that the claimant had been brazenly cheating on Mr Neville by conducting an affair while Mr Neville was abroad representing his country in the European Championships.