Statements in open court made in libel proceedings following the publication of articles containing allegations of the claimants behaviour.Separate statements made in open court in a libel action brought by the claimant ('C'), a celebrity, against the then editor of "The People" newspaper ('P') and its publisher. On the 5 January 2003 P published an article on its front page accusing C of plotting to bribe a police officer in order to gain access to the Police National Computer ('PNC'). On page 5 it was also claimed that C, having previously won public sympathy for overcoming alcohol addiction, had arranged for cut-price drinks to be sold at a nightclub in Edinburgh. Contrary to the articles: (i) C had not plotted to bribe a police officer. An undercover reporter acting on behalf of P had contacted C on a number of occasions posing as a detective from a private detective agency and covertly recorded their conversations. C refused to allow money to be offered to a police officer for access to the PNC; (ii) C was hired to make a personal appearance at the nightclub and had nothing to do with the drinks promotion.Although P published an apology in March 2003 and issued a statement in open court accepting the allegations were false, the parties were unable to make a joint statement because of C's refusal to be a party to such a statement provided P refused to state publicly that the allegations "ought never to have been published in the first place".