Giggs finally loses case over affair privacy

Ryan Giggs was claiming damages over a story about his liaison with the reality-television star Imogen Thomas (Getty Images)

The footballer Ryan Giggs yesterday lost his long-running legal claim over the privacy dispute last summer that led to his being mocked on Twitter for seeking to gag the press.

Giggs was claiming damages from The Sun for distress and breach of a right to privacy over an article on 14 April 2011 about a relationship with the reality-television star Imogen Thomas, headlined: "Footie Star's Affair with Big Bro Imogen." Although the tabloid did not name the Manchester United player – because he had secured a High Court injunction – his identity leaked out. Giggs claimed The Sun was to blame for the ensuing flood of stories published about him in other newspapers and on the internet.

The High Court judge Mr Justice Tugendhat yesterday threw out the case, saying: "It cannot be said the claim for damages could give rise to any significant award, even if it could give rise to an award at all."