Frank Bruno and partner win libel payout

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) Former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno and his girlfriend accepted a 50,000 pound libel payment over a Sunday newspaper's claims they had split just before the birth of their daughter in May.

The People reported that Bruno ended the relationship and that he had branded Yvonne Clydesdale a ''gold digger,'' in a story headlined ''Bruno baby love split''.

At the High Court yesterday, the couple's lawyer Magnus Boyd said the article implied Bruno had treated Clydesdale in a ''cold, callous and heartless manner''.

''All these allegations are false,'' he said, adding that the paper now accepted the story was untrue and had published an apology.

''Miss Clydesdale was very heavily pregnant at the time of the publication and the timing and sensational nature of the allegations published caused both claimants distress at an extremely sensitive time in their lives.'' A lawyer for the newspaper apologised to the couple, who were not present in court, and also agreed to pay their legal costs.

REUTERS SAM KN1012