The Mail on Sunday apologises to Chelsea FC and Steve Atkins

The Mail on Sunday has issued a public apology to Chelsea Football Club and its Head of Communications, Steve Atkins, as follows:

"Chelsea FC and Steve Atkins

Our story of February 21 ‘Chelsea helped Cole to silence claims of affair’, may have suggested that Chelsea FC and Steve Atkins, Head of Communications, encouraged a woman to lie by denying, falsely, that she had slept with a player.

In fact, there was no encouragement to lie and any advice was given to the woman in good faith on the understanding that the allegations were untrue. We apologise to Mr Atkins and Chelsea for any contrary impression given."

The apology was published in the Mail on Sunday on 18 July 2010 and online.

Harbottle & Lewis acted for Chelsea FC and Steve Atkins.

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19/07/10

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