Cameron backs chief whip over police slur allegations

Downing St last night resisted calls for an inquiry into chief whip Andrew Mitchell, after the cabinet minister apologised publicly to police officers for subjecting them to a tirade of verbal abuse.

A spokesman said prime minister David Cameron believed Mitchell had done the right thing in apologising, and thinks a line should now be drawn under the affair.

But a senior police representative said Mitchell had effectively accused the officers involved of lying and called on Cameron to hold an investigation.

Labour also called for an inquiry, while deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said it was right that Mitchell should explain “fully and in detail” what happened during the altercation after officers refused to allow him to cycle through the main gates of Downing St.

The Sun, which broke the story, reported it had now seen a police report of the incident, prepared for senior officers, which indicated Mitchell called officers “plebs” as well as swearing at them.

The report was said to be backed by at least two officers making the same verbatim note of the exchange in their notebooks.

But in his first appearance before the cameras since news of his outburst broke last week, Mitchell insisted reports of his comments were inaccurate.

Asked whether he had used the politically explosive word “plebs”, he said: “I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not use the words that have been attributed to me.”

Speaking as he arrived for work in Whitehall, Mitchell declined to detail what words he recalled using in the altercation last Wednesday.

But he acknowledged he had not shown the police “the amount of respect I should have done”.

“I have apologised to the police,” said Mitchell. “I have apologised to the police officer involved on the gate and he’s accepted my apology and I hope very much that we can draw a line under it there.”

However, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, John Tully, said Mitchell was accusing the officers of lying and called on Cameron to hold an investigation.

“Mr Mitchell is denying using certain words, effectively now impugning the integrity of the police officers,” he said.

“I think that is very serious. I think the prime minister or Downing Street officials should hold an inquiry and if Mr Mitchell is proved to have lied, then he should be sacked.”