Manchester Airport video is a lesson for the BBC

What follows is a tale of two video clips. The first of the two appeared on social media last Wednesday, showing a Greater Manchester Police officer kicking a helpless young man in the head.

In a statement, GMP said its officers had attempted to arrest a suspect but had been subjected to a “violent attack”, requiring an aggressive response. But as the backlash mounted, the force changed its tone, in an attempt to calm growing public anger over what was shown in the video. It admitted the footage was “truly shocking” and that “people are rightly extremely concerned”.

Several public figures made similar statements, including local Labour MP Paul Waugh, Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.