The Derby Telegraph thought it had spotted a good line for its live news blog on the government’s latest HS2 announcement on Tuesday, reporting that firebrand Labour MP Dennis Skinner had criticised the plans.

The Telegraph quoted a tweet in which the MP, nicknamed the ‘Beast of Bolsover’, appeared to slate the planned extension to Sheffield and Leeds as ignoring the needs of Nottingham, Derby & Leicester.

Unfortunately though, the ‘Denis Skinner’ account quoted is a spoof.  Not only does Mr Skinner not have a presence on the social network, he also presumably knows how to spell his own first name.

The account’s parodic nature was confirmed in a tweet by BBC Radio Leicester news editor Chris Doidge, who appears to be heartily fed up of other news outlets falling for the account’s posts.