THE BBC has made a key error in its tribute to former LibDem leader Menzies Campbell.
Campbell, often known as Ming, died aged 84 on Friday and had led the LibDems from March 2006 until October 2007.
Born on May 22, 1941, he was brought up in a Glasgow tenement and became a sports-obsessed youngster at Hillhead High School, where he showed an early talent for running.
By the time Campbell was at Glasgow University, he began breaking Scottish records for the 100 and 200-yard sprints, and went on to represent Britain at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and Scotland in the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.
In a news story covering Campbell’s death on Friday, the BBC made the mistake of saying he captained the British men's team at the Commonwealth Games.
The story read: “Though he failed to win a medal, he went on to captain the British men's team at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.”
Notably, although the event was called the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, there was no British team as all the countries that form Great Britain, England, Scotland and Wales, compete individually.
A year after the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica, Campbell set a new British 100m record of 10.2 seconds, beating OJ Simpson in the process, which stood until 1972.
Dubbed as “The Flying Scotsman,” he was twice the British 220 yards champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1964 AAA Championships and 1967 AAA Championships.
Campbell passed in London this week after a period of respite care, the party said. He died peacefully in the presence of his grandson.
The former leader reportedly spent one of his final days watching the Liberal Democrats Party Conference, and enjoying watching video messages from political friends.
Cole-Hamilton said: “Ming Campbell was one of the most respected politicians of his generation.
“The first political thing I ever did was to deliver leaflets for Ming on the morning of his first election to Parliament in 1987. He was my MP, he was my mentor and he was my friend.
“From the Olympic track to the benches of Westminster, his contribution to public life will long be remembered.
“My thoughts, and those of my party, are with his family at this time.”
