ITV’s News At Ten apologises for using picture of Leicester Square in story about Leicester’s new coronavirus outbreak
- Image of Leicester Square in London used instead of Leicester city centre
- Shot showed M&M World store, a notable fixture in Capital’s Leicester Square
- ITV News apologised for the error and said it ‘takes accuracy very seriously’
ITV has issued an apology today after an image of Leicester Square in London was mistakenly used on screen instead of a picture from Leicester city centre.
The wrong image was used during a news bulletin on last night’s News at Ten, which featured a discussion of the spike in coronavirus cases in the East Midlands city.
The backdrop showed the M&M World store – a prominent fixture in the Capital’s Leicester Square.
The presenters were discussing Leicester becoming the first UK city to be plunged back into lockdown, after 944 new cases were identified in the last two weeks.
ITV picked up on the error today, tweeting an apology for the ‘human error’.
‘Last night in the ITV News at Ten, an image of Leicester Square in London was mistakenly used on screen instead of an image from Leicester city centre. ITV News takes accuracy very seriously and we therefore apologise for this human error,’ the broadcaster wrote.
But Twitter users were quick to pick up on the gaffe.
Paul Corrigan joked: ‘Not to worry. A government advisor once mistook Durham for Westminster.’
ITV picked up on the error today, tweeting an apology for the ‘human error’
Twitter users were quick to pick up on the gaffe, sharing their own witty responses online today
This comes as Boris Johnson was today accused of letting coronavirus run wild in Leicester during a ‘lost week’.
In brutal clashes at PMQs, Mr Johnson furiously denied failing to share crucial data on infections with the authorities in the city.
But Labour leader Keir Starmer accused him of being ‘slow to act’ and said local officials were left believing there were only 80 positive tests per week, when the real figure was more than 940.
Mr Johnson insisted the ‘Pillar Two’ testing data, which covers screening of the general population carried out in commercial labs, was shared.
Police have since pledged to stop and fine drivers trying to flee Leicester for drinking or shopping after the city was put under a fresh lockdown.
Officers will carry out spot checks on vehicles leaving locked-down Leicester and could turn them around if their journey is not essential, it was revealed today, as confusion reigned because some areas in the city limits are in lockdown while neighbours are not.
Data shows how Leicester’s coronavirus outbreak has grown over time. The numbers compiled for England only include pillar one swab tests, which officials say are only given to patients with a medical need or key workers
Leicestershire Police is also threatening £100 fines amid growing concerns that residents may flee for the county’s open pubs, hair salons or other attractions while patrols will also break up mass gatherings in the city after they were partially blamed for a spike in coronavirus cases in June.
Patrols could also be increased in public spaces to enforce the guidelines but road blocks are considered over the top, the Times reported, as police in Leicestershire criticised the ‘drip-feeding’ of information from Whitehall to agencies on the ground and Matt Hancock insisted that the closure of shops would be enforced by law but there would be no travel ban.