Video: Andrew Mitchell: I was spat at in the street over Plebgate The politician held a press conference on Tuesday after it was announced that the gate officer would not face prosecution, although one fellow constable has been charged and he and another four face gross misconduct proceedings over the row. Mr Mitchell again denied having made any reference to "knowing your place," or using the word "plebs" during the confrontation in September last year. He said: "Police Constable Toby Rowland who was responsible for writing these toxic phrases into his notebook was not telling the truth." Mr Mitchell claimed that Scotland Yard's investigation into plebgate cast "grave doubt on the ability of the police to investigate wrongdoing in their own ranks." He said that the inquiry had "meandered on for more than a year," and caused "huge and unnecessary" public expense. The decision not to focus on Pc Rowland let investigators centre on less important issues, he claimed. This has allowed the inquiry to focus on the secondary issues rather than the incendiary fact that armed police officers...have stitched up one of those they are supposed to protect.