Andrew Mitchell Attacks No10 Over 'Plebgate'

Andrew Mitchell has attacked Downing Street for its handling of the "plebgate" row, claiming it had just wanted him to "lie low".

The Tory MP suggested Number 10 "wanted this to go away" because the furore was a distraction from the Government's work.

Mr Mitchell was forced to quit as Tory chief whip after allegations he called police "plebs" in a clash as he tried to cycle through the main gates of Downing Street.

He has admitted swearing at officers but always denied using the controversial word and now claims he could have kept his job had CCTV footage been released earlier.

The comments come after Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, who viewed the tape in the days after the incident, was sharply criticised by MPs over his botched investigation.

"I think Downing Street wanted this to go away. They really wanted me to lie low and let them get on with running the country but I couldn't do that," Mr Mitchell told Channel 4's Dispatches.

"I couldn't wake up every morning for the rest of my life knowing that I had been stitched up."

CCTV from Downing Street, which cast doubt on the police's account, only came to light after the MP battled with officials to get his own copy of the tape.

Mr Mitchell asked to see the footage of the altercation on the day he resigned - October 19 - but was not shown it for nearly three weeks.

He was told he could not have a copy for national security reasons and it took almost a month before that decision was overturned.

"It was quite a frustrating experience," he said. "I do not think the arguments about national security were genuine."

The Sutton Coldfield MP believes the footage and an email purporting to be an eyewitness account - which is now disputed - could have quickly cleared his name at the time.

It has been alleged that the email corroborating the police account was in fact written by a serving police officer in an apparent bid to smear Mr Mitchell.

"I think that it would have been discovered quite early on that something was quite seriously wrong with this and I suppose, had that happened, I might still be in Government today," he said.

Of suggestions initial briefing notes were altered to include the word pleb, he added: "I understand that two of the three poisonous phrases are in it, but whether there were two or three or one, whether it was done within one minute or an hour or three hours of the incident at the gate, it is wholly and totally untrue."

Downing Street rejected claims that Sir Jeremy's review was botched and insisted Mr Cameron had backed Mr Mitchell.

A spokesman said: "The Prime Minister wanted to keep Andrew Mitchell in his job, and was very supportive of him.

"At the time Andrew Mitchell apologised to the police and chose not to make a complaint to the IPCC - a path which was always available to him.

"The Prime Minister takes full responsibility for the way the case was handled and has said repeatedly that what matters now is that the police get to the bottom of this matter."

Following claims of a police conspiracy, Scotland Yard widened its probe into the affair - called Operation Alice - and has taken statements from hundreds of officers.

Four arrests have now been made - two police officers, a man and a woman, were arrested last week. Two other men were arrested last year.

Four other constables in the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is responsible for protecting government officials and diplomats, have been put on restricted duty over misconduct claims.