The Home Office is suing the company for the £300,000 that it
says it had to spend to change every lock at Feltham Young
Offenders' Institution in London following ITN's report.
ITN broadcast close-up images of a key which security experts
said could be used by some expert locksmiths to create copies of
the keys. ITN's report was about the racially motivated murder of
19-year-old Zahid Mubarek.
Broadcasters usually sign a contract in order to film inside
prisons which contains an agreement not to show footage of keys or
locks because its broadcast is a security hazard.
Prison authorities have claimed that it cost £298,595 to change
11,000 locks and 3,200 keys and the Home Office is suing ITN for
that amount, which it says the company, and not the tax payer,
should pay.
"We can confirm the Home Office has taken out legal proceedings
against ITN to recover costs for the relock at Feltham Young
Offenders' Institution in June 2006," a Home Office statement
said.
ITN is said to have offered to pay the Home Office £10,000 when
first contacted about the gaffe, but the legal action shows that
the Government wants ITN to pay in full for the mistake.
