Sun apologises for body scanner libel

Security man accepts £45,000 compensation

News Group Newspapers apologised to Jonathan Laker, a security guard at Heathrow Airport, over a front page article in The Sun which falsely alleged that Mr Laker had abused his position as a security guard by surreptitiously taking a naked scan of his female colleague.

The newspaper has now acknowledged that these allegations were untrue and that the offensive words attributed to Mr Laker in the article were not spoken by him.  As well as apologising, The Sun agreed to pay Mr Laker £45,000 in damages, following an offer of amends, together with his legal costs.

A pdf of the print version of the apology can be found here and the website version here.

5RB‘s Adam Speker (instructed by Carter Ruck) acted for Mr Laker; Mark Warby QC and Adam Wolanski (instructed by Farrer & Co) acted for News Group Newspapers.