A Twitter user who 'libelled' Jeremy Vine by claiming he was the BBC presenter facing a series of accusations has apologised and paid £1,000.
Huw Edwards has been named as the presenter who was the subject of accusations first published in The Sun after a statement from his wife confirmed that he was the BBC presenter the claims were referring to.
However, before the presenter's identity had been confirmed, some on social media engaged in the unwise activity of speculating and claiming that they knew who it was when they didn't.
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Several BBC presenters took to social media to say it wasn't them, while a Twitter user falsely claimed that Vine was the person the accusations were talking about.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter yesterday (16 July) said he'd since received an apology from the person who falsely identified him, along with a payment of £1,000 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association in lieu of having to pay damages.
"He has now acknowledged that he was wrong, and has apologised," Vine said of the Twitter user who 'libelled' him on social media.
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"At my request, he has also agreed to pay £1,000 to @mndassoc rather than paying damages."
Vine had been on Twitter urging the BBC presenter to 'come forward' and later reiterated his stance on his Channel 5 show.
He said: "It’s his decision, but he needs to come forward now, I think.
"I had a situation: I was going to see Bruce Springsteen at the weekend and my wife said 'Are you going to be safe there?'"
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"That’s how serious this thing is, and she gave me a baseball cap and said ‘You’d better wear this’."
Fellow BBC presenter Nicky Campbell also said he'd had a 'distressing weekend' after being falsely identified, saying he'd sought legal advice about possible defamation and had spoken to the police about the matter.
Vine being able to get a Twitter user who falsely named him is proof that what someone says on social media is not free of legal consequences.
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People can be charged, fined and even sent to prison depending of the content of their tweets and if they are convicted, in this case, Vine has settled for an apology and a £1,000 donation to a good cause instead of seeking damages for libel.
The Metropolitan Police have said Edwards has committed no criminal offence and that 'at this time' no further action will be taken by them regarding the matter.
An internal investigation into the matter from the BBC is currently ongoing.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-2pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111.
Topics: UK News, BBC, Twitter, Social Media
Joe Harker