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October 30, 2014

Hull Daily Mail apologises ‘unreservedly’ after publishing photo of wrong man with sexual assault story

By Press Gazette

The Hull Daily Mail has apologised “unreservedly” after publishing a photograph of an innocent man with a story about a taxi driver who sexually assaulted two female passengers.

The story, published earlier this week, was about David Ainsworth being jailed for six months for his crimes.

But a photograph of John Ainsworth – who is the brother of a different, innocent, David Ainsworth – appeared alongside the story.

The Local World title has issued an apology, online and, it is understood, on its front page, to the innocent man and his family.

The apology says: “THE Hull Daily Mail would like to apologise unreservedly for publishing in error a photograph of Mr John Ainsworth alongside an article on October 27 about taxi driver David Ainsworth, who was jailed for six months for sexually assaulting two female passengers.

“Mr John Ainsworth has not been convicted of any such offence. We have also been asked to point out that he and his brother Mr David Ainsworth are not related to the David Ainsworth who appeared in court and do not know him.

“We apologise unconditionally for the embarrassment this mistake has caused to Mr John Ainsworth and his family.”Neil Hodgkinson, editor said: “We have made a very serious error and have apologised to John Ainsworth and his family.”

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Editor Neil Hodgkinson said: “We have made a very serious error and have apologised to John Ainsworth and his family.”

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