One of five men accused of taking part in a plot last year to kidnap Victoria Beckham launched a libel claim yesterday against the News of the World, which ran a seven-page story on the alleged conspiracy after paying an informant £10,000.
Romanian-born Alin Turcu, who was 18 at the time, spent nearly eight months on remand in Feltham young offenders' institution before charges were dropped by the crown prosecution service after it emerged that the newspaper had paid Florim Gashi, a convicted conman.
The five were arrested last November on suspicion of plotting to kidnap the former Spice Girl and her two sons, Brooklyn and Romeo. The five men were released in June when their case collapsed because the CPS said it could not rely on Mr Gashi's evidence.
The newspaper had set up a sting after Mr Gashi, a Kosovan car park attendant with convictions for dishonesty, approached its investigations editor, Mazher Mahmood, suggesting that the gang was trying to kidnap Mrs Beckham and demand a ransom from her husband, David.
Mr Gashi secretly filmed the men apparently discussing the plot. Mr Mahmood took the tapes to police and told them where to find the gang. The newspaper filmed the arrest. The next day, November 3, it ran the story.
The case collapsed when it came to court because the CPS decided that Mr Gashi was an unreliable witness. The accused men's lawyers said transcripts of the tapes showed they discussed the kidnap idea after Mr Gashi suggested it.
David Price, Mr Turcu's solicitor, said: "We have today sent a letter of claim to News Group Newspapers. They will have 14 days to respond."
A spokeswoman for the newspaper said that it "would not be commenting".
