Touch of the Sun
Sir: We act for Mr Bernard Shrimsley, whose attention has been drawn to an 'article headed 'The Expendables' on page 54 of the current edition of The Spectator under the pseudonym "Walter Plinge."
In that article you published a wholly unjustified criticism of our client, suggesting that as a result of some alleged incompetence on his part the Sun newspaper was doing badly and that our client was for that reason demoted by a transfer to the News of the World.
The facts are that during our client's time as editor of the Sun the circulation of the newspaper increased very substantially, and although, in common with all newspapers it has lost some circulation recently, the loss is small compared with that of other newspapers, including its main rival, the Daily Mirror. Our client's transfer to the News of the World is in no sense a demotion: indeed, he retains the same seniority as before in the senior editorial team of the group.
We must ask you in the next issue of The Spectator to publish a full and unreserved apology and retraction, and to repeat that apology by way of a, statement in Open Court. We also invite you to put forward proposals for compensating our client for the grave injury done to his professional reputation, and we must require you to indemnify him in respect of his legal costs.
Because the minimum redress which would be acceptable to our client includes a statement in Open Court, we have issued a writ and we invite you to nominate solicitors to accept service. Allen & Overy 9 Cheapside, London EC2
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