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Ex-MP accepts damages over sex pest claims
Former Labour MP Stephen Hesford today accepted undisclosed libel damages over a claim that he was a sex pest.
Mr Hesford, who represented the West Wirral constituency in Merseyside, until he stood down at the general election, had brought High Court proceedings against Express Newspapers.
His counsel, Richard Pitkethly, told Mr Justice Tugendhat in London that, in October 2009, the Daily Express published an article called "MP who took a moral stance 'was a sex pest"'.
He said that it included what purported to be a report of proceedings before an employment tribunal brought against Mr Hesford by a former employee for sexual discrimination.
"The article stated that an additional claim was to be made against Mr Hesford for sexual harassment.
"The article wrongly implied that Mr Hesford was being accused of personally having sexually harassed his former employee and was therefore a hypocrite having resigned a month earlier as a matter of principle as a parliamentary aide to the Attorney General."
Counsel said that Express Newspapers withdrew the allegations unreservedly.
"In fact the claim against the claimant was as employer rather than for anything that he had done personally.
"The defendants are here today to apologise to Mr Hesford and have paid him a sum in damages together with his legal costs."
The newspaper's counsel, Clare Kissin, said that it apologised for any damage, distress and embarrassment caused and welcomed the opportunity to set the record straight.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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