The BBC makes a humble apology for showing the wrong footballer on charges of rape

The BBC issued an apology yesterday after reporting on a football ace accused of sex offenses – in front of a picture of an innocent Premier League star.

A picture of Raheem Sterling, 27, stayed on screen as host Mike Bushell moved on to the unrelated story about another Prem star.

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He appeared to have been stopped by a producer when he was recounting an unnamed player who had not been suspended despite suspicions of rape.

The image of Sterling – in the news after his £50million move from Manchester City to Chelsea – then flashed off the screen, BBC Sport’s title card returned.

Guided through his headphones by a producer, Bushell said of the rape storyline, “We don’t know the team, we don’t know the player.”

BBC News was quick to apologize on the air.

It said: “Due to a technical error, the wrong image appeared in connection with the story of a Premier League player who was arrested on alleged sex offences.

“An image of another and completely unconnected player was shown. We apologize.”

We revealed last week that a player in his late 20s in north London had been arrested on suspicion of rape before being arrested again on two other alleged assaults against another woman.

The star, who is set to play at the World Cup in November, cannot be identified for legal reasons, but it is definitely not Sterling.

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