'Much to the amusement of those watching'

A MailOnline story posted yesterday evening claimed:

The article by Simon Tomlinson - which amounts to: person with funny name gets photo shown on TV -  then publishes the picture:

This blog was contacted by an eagle-eyed reader who pointed out that the font doesn't quite look like the one the BBC News Channel uses.

A comment on the MailOnline article makes the same point, and also questions why they would include the 'LIVE' caption while showing photographs from viewers.

Further doubts were raised by other comments. One said:

Strange, I live 12 miles from Lutterworth and we haven't seen so much as a flake of snow all day. Maybe that should read FAKE instead of flake!

Another said:

I live 6 miles away and drove through lutterworth and there was no snow today!

And a third said:

Well I live in Lutterworth and we haven't seen as much as a snowflake during this recent cold snap! Someone was clearly yanking the BBC's leg!!

A comment left this morning sheds more light:

This is a photoshopped picture and a fake name, my friend did it. Can't believe it's made the news with people thinking it's real! Search Phlex Media :)

And, indeed, searching for Phlex Media finds this Facebook page where Jody Kirton is currently telling his followers how his 'photoshopped photo made the news'. And on Twitter:

He explains how he photoshopped the picture, put it on a USB, looked at it on his TV and then took the picture. He has posted a copy of his original photoshopped picture as proof.

He has now also posted another photo on his Facebook. It has the caption: 'Daily Mail 0, Jody 1'.

And this incident comes so soon after this...

(Hat-tip to Martin S)

UPDATE: Craig Silverman from Poynter has interviewed Jody.  

UPDATE (6 February): The article has now been deleted from the Mail's website.