Plebgate has damaged Met - chief  Plebgate has damaged Met -
chief  The head of Scotland Yard admitted his force has been
damaged by the Plebgate controversy but defended his own
handling of the affair.  Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir
Bernard Hogan Howe said there was "no doubt some damage had been
done".  He also insisted crime statistics were "generally sound"
despite investigations into serious allegations that officers
are manipulating them to improve performance records.  One
officer is being prosecuted and eight face disciplinary action
in the wake of the row over claims - which he disputes - that
the then cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell called officers
"plebs".  Sir Bernard said soon after the incident that his
officers "accurately reported what had happened".  Asked whether
he now felt he had been right to do that, he told BBC Radio 4's
Today he had a responsibility to protect staff morale.  "It's
not an unreasonable statement after the person about who the
allegation is made ... apologised to