Complaint
In a report on the Prime Minister receiving a fine for breaching lockdown restrictions the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Editor said:
Now each one of those Fixed Penalty Notices requires the police to believe that a criminal offence has been committed. Now it doesn’t go on anybody’s criminal record but it will go on the Police National Computer.
A viewer complained that this was incorrect, as breaches of lockdown restrictions incurring a fixed penalty notice were non-recordable crimes. The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½â€™s editorial standards of accuracy.
Outcome
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Editor acknowledged that he was mistaken in saying the offence would be recorded on the Police National Computer. As the error could have misled viewers as to the seriousness of the offence, the ECU accepted that it was a breach of the relevant editorial standards.
Upheld
Further action
The finding was reported to the Board of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ News and discussed with the programme-makers concerned.