A woman who was wrongly linked to the terror plot to blow up trans Atlantic aircraft today accepted a public apology and “substantial” but undisclosed damages at London’s High Court.
Mr Justice David Eady was told that photographs of Koser Zaman of Walthamstow were published by ITV accompanying broadcasts describing how terror suspects had been named in connection to blow up numerous passenger planes over the Atlantic on flights between the UK and USA on or around 9 August.
They were also printed in the Daily Mail, Evening Standard, the Sun and the Daily Mirror
Her advocate, Korieh Dodu, told the judge that she was alleged to have been "a woman from Walthamstow being held in custody with her six month old baby".
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However, he continued: "The photographs were published in error. Whilst the claimant is a resident of Walthamstow and attended Walthamstow Girls' School, where it was alleged that the woman in question had gone to school, she has no connection whatsoever with the alleged plot to blow up passenger aeroplanes.
"The claimant was deeply distressed by the widespread use of her photograph in connection with these allegations."
He said that she took immediate action against ITV News and all the newspaper publishers, and secured apologies from all of them, including two broadcast apologies on ITV News.
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Now, he said, they had agreed to pay her "substantial" damages.
Victoria Joliffe, advocate for ITV News and the newspaper publishers, added: "the defendants accept that the claimant had nothing to do with any terrorist plot, and offer their sincere apologies to her and her family."
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