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BBC uses old picture of Altrincham to illustrate story about vacant shop units… in Scotland

Altrincham picked up an unfortunate reputation for vacant shop units a few years ago when The Sun ran its infamous “Ghost Town” story.

Altrincham picked up an unfortunate reputation for vacant shop units a few years ago when The Sun ran its infamous “Ghost Town” story.

A concerted programme of regeneration is consigning that reputation to the dustbin – although there’s still a way to go.

It seems, however, that the picture desks of our national media have a bit of catching up to do.

The BBC News website today used a several-years-old picture of George Street to illustrate a story about shop vacancy rates in Scotland. Ironically, the story was actually a positive one, detailing a fall in vacancies.

The picture was supplied by national news agency The Press Association, and was also used by the Daily Mirror last year. While that end of George Street is certainly not the smartest part of town, it’s nothing like the bleak picture the national media clearly like to portray. Home Bargains has since installed a rather shiny shop, for one thing.

We’ve contacted the BBC for an explanation and we’ll update this story as soon as we get one.

In the meantime, we’ll happily donate the below picture – taken today – to the BBC, Daily Mirror and the Press Association. Keep up, people…

Below: George Street today, and how the national media prefers to think of it

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