Swearing at police was 'wrong, very wrong' The apology should "draw a line under it," Mr Clegg said. Mr Mitchell is safe in his post, the Deputy Prime Minister said, "unless something comes to light about the rival versions of it that I don't know about." Mr Clegg's words were echord by Ed Davey, the Lib Dem energy secretary, who repeated his party leader's warning that new revelations about Mr Mitchell's conduct could make his position untenable. I am glad he has apologised. I hope that can draw the line under it," Mr Davey told Sky News" Murnaghan show. I don't know the details. If more comes out, we'll judge it then. However, one serving minister put the likelihood of Mr Mitchell remaining in his post at no better than 60-40, while another said he should make a public televised apology. Mr Mitchell's own account of the words he used during Wednesday's incident emerged for the first time last night. It is understood his version of events is that after asking officers to open the main gates to Downing Street for his bicycle, and being refused, he said: "You guys are supposed to f***ing help us." A friend of Mr Mitchell said he was "100 per cent adamant" he had not used the word "plebs" or "morons," despite contradictory reports, although he was not calling anybody a liar. "He lost it a bit," the friend said. Mr Mitchell has faced calls to resign over the incident, which took place the day after two female police officers were killed in Manchester in a gun and grenade attack. He has been rebuked by David Cameron, who was said, however, to be sticking by his Chief Whip. A Cabinet minister said Mr Mitchell should defy the secretive conventions of the whips" office by making a public apology, on camera, as Gordon Brown did during the 2010 general election campaign when he was caught out calling a woman voter in Rochdale "bigoted." Dan Hannan, the Conservative Euro-MP, said: "It's hard to think of worse behaviour than insulting a police officer who is ready to place himself between you and a bullet."