Newspapers to pay Rooney damages

[Mac 10 †]

Newspapers to pay Rooney damages

Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney has accepted damages of £100,000 from the publishers of the Sun and the News of the World.

The newspapers had falsely reported the striker slapped his fiancee Coleen McLoughlin during a row at a nightclub in Cheshire in April last year.

Rooney strenuously denied the story and will donate the damages to charity.

At the High Court the newspapers' publishers, News Group Newspapers Ltd, accepted the allegations were false.

Rooney and Ms McLoughlin were not present at Tuesday's hearing in front of Mr Justice Eady.

The 20-year-old player's solicitors, Schillings, said he intended to donate the damages to charity.

The damages reflected "the gravity of the libels", they added.

A statement from the two newspapers said: "With only 58 days to the start of The World Cup, The Sun and The News of The World are pleased to have reached a settlement with Wayne Rooney.

"We can now put this case behind us and focus on a great tournament.

"We wish him and the England team every success in Germany and look forward to welcoming them back with the World Cup trophy."