THE ex-professional footballer Joey Barton has apologised to Jeremy Vine and agreed to pay the broadcaster £75,000 in damages to settle a High Court libel claim.

In a post on X,/Twitter, Barton said the allegations he made against Vine, including calling him a “bike nonce”, were “untrue”.

Vine sued Barton for libel and harassment over 14 online posts, including where he called Vine a “big bike nonce” and a “pedo defender” on X.

A High Court judge ruled last month that 11 of the posts could defame Mr Vine.

In a statement, Barton said: “Between 8 and 12 January 2024 I published 11 posts which accused Jeremy Vine of having a sexual interest in children, and created a hashtag which made the same allegations, which were viewed millions of times.

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“I recognise that this is a very serious allegation. It is untrue. I do not believe that Mr Vine has a sexual interest in children, and I wish to set the record straight.

“I also published posts during the same period in which I referred to Mr Vine having advocated forced vaccination during the Covid 19 pandemic, based upon a video clip of his TV programme.

“I accept that he did not advocate this policy and that the video clip has been edited to give a misleading impression of what he was in fact saying.

“I then taunted and abused Mr Vine for bringing a legal complaint against me. I have agreed not to make the same allegations again about Mr Vine and I apologise to him for the distress he has suffered.

Joey Barton apologised for the remarks he made abour Jeremy Vine on social mediaJoey Barton apologised for the remarks he made abour Jeremy Vine on social media

“To resolve his claims against me in defamation and harassment, I have agreed to pay Mr Vine £75,000 in damages and his legal costs.”

Lawyers for Vine told a hearing in London on May 9 that Barton posted several abusive tweets about the broadcaster in early January this year in a “calculated and sustained attack”.

Barton, who played for teams including Manchester City, Newcastle United, Rangers, and French side Marseille during his career, also began using “#bikenonce” on X, which led to it trending on the platform, the court was told.

Gervase de Wilde, representing Vine, said that the posts contained “clear references to (Vine) having a sexual interest in children” and that the word “nonce” had “an irreducible, defamatory meaning”.

In a statement online Vine said: "The news of Joey Barton’s apology and commitment to pay damages and costs is not the final outcome of this case.

"After five defamatory tweets, my lawyer offered Barton a chance to settle: pay £75k, plus my costs, and make an apology. 

"He ignored that offer and posted more disgusting tweets about me, even publishing my home address to his followers. 

"When I then took my case to the High Court, a judge ruled that TEN of the tweets I complained of were defamatory. Having lost, Barton has returned to the offer we made after tweet 5. 

"There has therefore been a parallel action on tweets 6-10 and Barton will pay further damages for these. A number of other steps — including statements made in Court by way of apology — are still to be taken, and Barton has agreed to pay my legal costs of all of the claims."