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Former police officer Ian Richardson, who was the most senior of officers at Downing Street during the 'plebgate' incident, told Today's John Humphrys that he felt sorry for ex Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell.

He said "Mr Mitchell lost his sense of humour" but "who hasn't lost their sense of humour at work?"

"I heard Mr Mitchell when he initially stopped to try to get out of the gates, and when he was demanding exit...but I only heard part of the exchange with PC Rowland."

Mr Richardson said he thought the Metropolitan police should have done more to stop the affair escalating: "It was quite clear police officers, not the officers at the gate, leaked the information".

"There was no debrief, nobody read my notes until PC Wallace was exposed by Channel 4".

First broadcast on Today programme 28 November 2014.