Giggs Loses Court Case Over Alleged Affair

A damages claim by footballer Ryan Giggs against The Sun newspaper over an alleged affair has been thrown out by a High Court judge.

The Manchester United footballer claimed that The Sun misused private information and argued that he was entitled to claim damages.

He argued the damages were for distress and breach of a right to privacy enshrined in human rights legislation.

But The Sun said that Giggs's claim - after an article about a relationship with reality television star Imogen Thomas - was "dead in the water" and should be stopped.

Mr Justice Tugendhat heard arguments at a High Court hearing in London last month and delivered his ruling on Friday.

On February 21, Hugh Tomlinson QC, for Giggs , argued that The Sun misused private information in the article, in which the footballer was not identified.

Mr Tomlinson said Giggs was claiming damages for the subsequent re-publication of the story in other newspapers and on the internet - and argued the claim should go to trial.

He suggested that The Sun's story "generated a large media storm" and said the damages claim was about "providing effective protection" for Giggs's right to privacy.

Richard Spearman QC, for The Sun, said the article reported Ms Thomas's relationship with a Premier League player and did not identify Giggs.

He said The Sun behaved "properly" and was not responsible for what happened after the article appeared.

Mr Spearman said legal action had been "spun along for a long, long time" - an allegation Mr Tomlinson described as being "wholly without foundation".

In his written judgement, Mr Justice Tugendhat said he had decided to "refuse to grant relief" to Giggs.