BBC Admits 'Crying' Error In Quintuplet Report

The BBC has been forced to backtrack after allegations that the broadcaster added the sound of crying babies to a news report featuring premature quintuplets on News 24.

Despite the fact that the babies - born to a 29 year old Russian woman - had respirators in their mouths, the sound of crying could be heard at the start of the report.

The John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford released video clips of the mother, her husband and five daughters without audio to be used in television news bulletins. The hospital accused the BBC of dubbing the sounds effects over the top.

The BBC has admitted the error in a statement: "We received the film without sound and although we don't believe viewers were materially misled, we should not have added sound to the pictures."

The footage with sound of the babies crying has been removed from the BBC website, and the Six O'Clock News ran the clip without the audio following the complaint from the hospital.

Rival news broadcasters such as Sky and ITN ran clips of the footage without audio.

The latest deception follows last months debacle concerning the Queen walking out of a photoshoot in a 'huff' while filming the documentary 'A Year With The Queen' now renamed 'Monarchy: The Royal Family At Work' following the controversy which forced BBC 1 Controller Peter Fincham to resign.

The incidents are not isolated and the year has brought much speculation to the trustworthiness of broadcasters. Commerical broadcasters have also admitted to premium phone line abuses - further incidents which threaten to damage public trust.

The BBC has since introduced a range of measures including a training course for all staff, a website going behind the scenes in television production and a clampdown on techniques that are not completely 'transparent'.

(DS)