Building bridges with the police - the Mitchell way! Kiss comes as Yard arrests another man over 'Plebgate' leaks

Andrew Mitchell was yesterday eager to prove he had put his problems with the police behind him – by planting a kiss on the cheek of a female officer.
Mr Mitchell made the awkward gesture to Chief Superintendent Lorraine Bottomley after visiting a police station in his constituency.
He said he had been visiting the local police and other emergency services for the past 11 years to thank them for keeping the community safe ‘while many of us are putting our feet up over Christmas’.
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Tory MP Andrew Mitchell today put his stand-off with police to one side to embrace Chief Superintendent Lorraine Bottomley on the steps of Sutton Coldfield police station

‘They’ve done such a very good job,’ he added. ‘They’ve made Sutton Coldfield the second safest town in Britain and I’m very proud of what the police have achieved.’

 

Despite the recent furore over the ‘plebgate’ affair, Mr Mitchell insisted he had always had ‘a really excellent relationship’ with his local police.
He added: ‘We’ve worked closely together for the past 11 years in the interest of the local community.
‘They’re a great team, they do a very good job and we work together extremely well.’
Meanwhile, the leader of the rank and file police last night said he would apologise to Mr Mitchell if an investigation found the MP did not call officers ‘plebs’ during the infamous incident in Downing Street.
Paul McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation, said he ‘will be one of the first in the queue to apologise’ if the former Chief Whip is exonerated.

It was a very public display of support for the police at a time when senior Tories have claimed Mr Mitchell is the victim of a 'stitch up'

Mr Mitchell had been holding meetings with members of the police force in his Sutton Coldfield constituency

Mr Mitchell has claimed the plebgate saga has 'shaken' his confidence in the police

After details of Mr Mitchell’s foul-mouthed rant were leaked, members of the federation repeatedly referred to the scandal in their campaign to highlight alleged police cuts, wearing ‘PC Pleb’ T-shirts to the Tory party conference to try to garner public sympathy.
Yesterday Mr McKeever admitted he ‘came pretty close’ to demanding the minister’s head in the days after the row blew