Payout for false Moat game story

The creators of the video game Grand Theft Auto accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages yesterday over an "entirely false" story that it was planning a version based on the gunman Raoul Moat.

Take 2 Inc (Rockstar Games) brought High Court proceedings over an article and leader in the Daily Star in July. Its solicitor, Melanie Hart, told Mr Justice Tugendhat in London that the story claimed the new game – supposedly entitled Grand Theft Auto Rothbury – would be based on the events in Northumberland.

She said the newspaper published quotes from a grieving relative of a victim of Moat, describing the alleged plan as "sick".

She said: "The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false."