The article, by Guy Patrick, claims:
Cops are throwing a ring of steel around tonight's live episode of Coronation Street over fears it has been targeted by AL-QAEDA.
They were tipped off that the ITV1 soap's historic 50th anniversary broadcast from Manchester could be hit by a terror strike.
It goes on to repeat several suspiciously vague quotes from suspiciously anonymous sources - including one from a Greater Manchester Police spokesman which doesn't really back-up the Sun's story:
"This is a public, high-profile event. The risk is consistent with the UK terror threat, which is currently severe."
But a named Greater Manchester Police spokesman, Supt Jim Liggett, is quoted elsewhere saying something rather different:
"I want to clarify that we have categorically not been made aware of any threat from Al-Qaeda or any other proscribed organisation.
"Quite simply, Granada approached GMP to inform us they were employing a private security firm to help ensure tonight's live programme went ahead without outside interference.
"As part of their operation they asked for police assistance and we agreed to deploy a very small number of officers and PCSOs to help patrol the set's perimeter fence.
"This small police operation will be paid for by Granada and will not cost taxpayers a extra penny.
"To reiterate there is no specific intelligence threat to Coronation Street or any such event. However, the UK threat level remains at severe and people are encouraged to be vigilant."
So a completely made-up 'exclusive' - as if that wasn't obvious before the Police's denial.
However, the Sun have managed to give tonight's live episode of Coronation Street a bit of free publicity and they might have sold some extra newspapers based on their scaremongering headline. In the end, that's probably all this front page ever intended to do.
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I wouldn't be suprised if this turns out to be a plot in Coronation street in the near future and the Sun is just reporting it as a real threat.
ReplyDeleteThey were behind all that "Free the Weatherfield One" crap in the late 90's, dedicating front pages etc to a TV soap storyline and reporting on it as if it was a real event.
You have to laugh at the Sun's navelgazing Anglocentrism, if they really think the 50th anniversary of Coronation Street is a global event that Middle Eastern terrorist groups are even aware of, never mind targeting. It isn't exactly the Olympics, is it?
ReplyDeleteThe irony is the "ring of steel" was probably set up to stop newspapers and paps from getting pcitrues of the rehersals of the live show and spalsh them all over thier pages.
ReplyDeleteThis just reeks of a publicity stunt it really does
ReplyDelete"recent troll activity" - The Sun are the trolls here.
ReplyDeleteSurely headlines like that should be illegal? Surely?
I do beleive it's the fact that it will be televised to 20 million people, not because corrie is 50.
ReplyDeleteThe final paragraph of the Sun report is interesting. "Everyone is on edge anyway because it's so rare to film Corrie live." How else do they record it?
ReplyDelete