The publishers of the Times and Daily Telegraph have paid libel damages to a top prosecutor who they wrongly claimed had been criticised following England cricketer Ben Stokes’ acquittal on charges of affray last year.

A Times splash on 15 August 2018, headlined: “Senior prosecutor under fire after Stokes is cleared of affray,” wrongly said the initial decision on what charges to bring against Stokes (pictured, left) was made by barrister Alison Morgan, who was then first junior treasury counsel.

It also wrongly reported that Morgan was responsible for the decision not to charge Stokes’ fellow England cricketer Alex Hales (pictured, right) for his involvement in the incident outside a Bristol nightclub in September 2017.