Mr Bean wins damages over depression slur

British comic actor Rowan Atkinson won "substantial damages" from a newspaper group yesterday over claims he was suffering from severe depression and "heading for a breakdown".

The Mr Bean and Johnny English star sued Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail, over articles which claimed he was receiving treatment for depression in a US clinic.

The actor said the "very substantial" five-figure damages would be donated to a mental health charity.