Government chief whip Andrew Mitchell has apologised to a police officer he is said to have insulted during a foul-mouthed rant in Downing Street. Mr Mitchell said sorry for the "disrespectful" comments in a telephone call, according to sources. The move came after police groups and Labour questioned whether Mr Mitchell could hang on to his job after details emerged of the confrontation earlier this week. According to The Sun, the MP reacted angrily after being told he was not allowed to cycle out of Downing Street. He apparently branded the officers "plebs" for not letting him use the main gates on Wednesday and said they should "learn your f****** place". Mr Mitchell, who became chief whip in the reshuffle earlier this month, has denied using some of the reported language but apologised for not treating the police with proper respect. | 
