From The Register.

A Welsh politician has learned an expensive lesson in libel and must pay a political rival £3,000, plus costs, thanks to a libellous Tweet he posted about the latter.

Colin Elsbury has now returned to Twitter to apologise to Councillor Edward John Talbot. Elsbury accepted that his claim that Talbot had been removed from a polling station by police during the June 2009 local election was untrue and defamatory.

Alongside £3,000 in damages, Elsbury must also pay Talbot's costs – estimated by the Press Gazette at £50,000.

Elsbury apologised for any distress, hurt, upset or embarrassment caused and accepted the statement was untrue.

Elsbury boasts a modest 28 followers on Twitter.