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Sleuth, Manchester Confidential’s man about town, has admitted he was duped by a News of the World undercover reporter into taking £20 off him ‘for a pint or two, and some scampi fries’ last Friday, in return for making contact with celebrities.
Sleuth has released the following statement; "I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused. It is true that my drinking situation was under stress, however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and I am very sorry that this has happened.”
According to Sleuth the trouble arose when he ran out of cash in the Blackdog Ballroom and asked for another £20 off Gordo to see him through the night. He thought Gordo was taking a quick kip nearby.
As his vision was temporarily impaired at the time he claims he didn’t realise that he was talking to a pool table not a prone Gordo. The News of the World learned of the request and within five minutes had a hack to hand.
“I am a multi-millionaire Arab prince and I would give you that £20, as long as you could give me an introduction to the cast of Hollyoaks,” the man said in a broad cockney accent and in traditional Arab dress of jeans and t-shirt.
Sleuth says: “I was completely taken in, who’d think the News of the World would stoop so low? I confess I undertook to get the man an introduction to Hollyoaks for the £20. But I swear I was just after another drink, I don’t know anybody on Hollyoaks. I didn’t even know it was a soap opera, I thought it was a bizarre genetic experiment involving two trees.”
The member of Hollyoaks cast involvedSleuth would also like to apologise to fish after last week being caught out by the Mail on Sunday. On that occasion he was taped by an alluring young lady who he thought he was merely taking for dinner into saying, “cod are the only fish that can talk you know: they shout ‘gerroff me’ in a Geordie accent after generations of being pursued by North East fisherman.”
“Of course I’m not sure whether that’s true or not, but people are impressed by fish facts.” said Sleuth. “But I stand by my scientifically proven statement that 68.7% of Greater Manchester bus drivers are nasty or indifferent to their passengers even though I have nothing with which to back this figure up.”
Geordie fisherman hides behind two cod he didn't 'gerrof' The News of the World and the Mail on Sunday issued this statement. . “Our actions weren’t entrapment, they simply involved the payment of sums of money to an individual who may not have taken that money and performed those actions unless we’d encouraged them to do so.”
A judge told Confidential, “revealing Sleuth took £20 for an introduction to Hollyoaks cast, was clearly not in the public interest. It may have taken place in public but it’s not interesting in any way.”
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That's 3 minutes of my life I wont be getting back!
Erm, perhaps let people read your ramblings before publication eh? Worst attempt at humour this site has ever seen!
I think it's funny. The recent entrapment stuff is worthy of criticism
There is a serious question here being raised about how unacceptable these entrapments are. They are vile. They are not in the public interest.
This is an important issue. That Mail of Sunday one was the worst. Jeez what a cheeky bitch.
i dunno Urriti. Fergie will take some money (a lot, yes) to introduce you to her ex (though no further promises of what he can do for you, etc).
don't misread this as deflecting, but i reckon a lot of Brits could be entrapped (differing circumstances would be needed for each individual, money amount would differ) if the price was right.
like Ben B says, is this really that massively in the public interest?
what about the tax avoidance of Murdoch's British media stable?
that's got more effect on the British economy than whether Fergie 'likes a drink'.
and you think the Greeks are bad? British corruption everywhere...
The really bad news is that if you type 'mancon' into Google, this is the first story that comes up. Not quite the best article to entice new readers in to subscribe to the emails...
Try Manchester Confidential then
or just type http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk into the address bar at the top of your screen... think you've somewhat missed the point pal