Police are investigating the origin of a fake post on social media that suggests the decision to approve the Hooters licence at Salford Quays was to punish nearby residents for voting in a Liberal Democrat councillor.
The apparent Facebook post purports to be by senior Labour councillor Mike McCusker and uses offensive language. Coun McCusker categorically denies ever making such a post or holding such views.
A screenshot image of the post sent to the Manchester Evening News via the Local Democracy Reporting Service is shown to have been "liked" by colleagues Sharmina August and Jake Rowland. Coun August and Coun Rowland also deny ever seeing such or reacting in that way to such a post.
READ MORE:
Following the offensive text, it also pretends to show City Mayor Paul Dennett posting "Delete!". Mr Dennett flatly denies ever making such a post.
Now, the commander of the City of Salford Police, Chief Superintendent Shaun Donnellan, said: "Greater Manchester Police have been alerted in relation to a document which purports to be from a social media account and contains a political message.
"Our experts have examined it in detail and I am satisfied it is totally fake and has never been posted on social media. My officers are making urgent enquiries to establish the identity of the offender(s) and any criminal offences committed will be pursued.”
The licence for Hooters on Salford Quays - where young women wearing running gear will serve customers - was controversially approved on Monday after a licensing panel hearing in the face of 91 objections.
The mayor's office made the complaint to GMP after a screenshot of the fake post was examined by Salford council's social media team, which established the apparent post "does not actually exist on Facebook". They found that there were several parts of the image that make it appear to be a photoshopped image that uses old Facebook standards.
The way Facebook now displays the likes and shares on a post has changed. Shares are now displayed on the right hand side not underneath as shown on the Hooters post, they say. The "like" icon is now displayed in a blue circle and people can now react on Facebook not just like the post as well, for example.
A copy of the post had been forwarded to the M.E.N. via the Local Democracy Reporting Service by the leader of Salford's Liberal Democrats Alex Warren after he himself received it from colleague Coun Chris Twells.
The M.E.N. has attempted to make contact with original sender by email, but so far there has been no response.
Coun McCusker said of the post: "It's a complete fake. It's very concerning that there are people out there who would do somthing like this. I was opposed to the Hooters licensing aplication because it is potentially demeaning to women. But the licensing panel had to make its decision based on the law, and therefore we have to accept it."
He also said the post was "actionable" and that he would be consulting his solicitor.
Meanwhile, a Salford Labour source said: "We have been made aware of a forgery distributed to the press by members of the opposition Liberal Democrats, purportedly sent to them by a local resident, falsely depicting a Labour councillor and cabinet member using abusive and vulgar language towards residents of the Quays on social media, and implying corruption in the licensing process regarding the recent Hooters application.
"The forgery also includes a fabricated comment from Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett, and several forged 'likes' from Labour councillors. To the best of our knowledge, the Lib Dems did not raise any matters of conduct with the council's standards process prior to distributing the forged images to the press - nor have they communicated in any way with the mayor's office or the chief executive.
"We have confirmed the forgery as a fake through the council's social media team and we have passed the case on to GMP for further investigation."
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: "We are very concerned that local Lib Dem councillors appear to have circulated this image to the press. At best they have failed to verify a clearly malicious source.
"The issue has been referred both to GMP and to our internal standards process in the council, as clearly the behaviour of the Lib Dems is not befitting of elected representatives in the City of Salford."
Responding, Coun Warren said: "The main reason for us doing what we did was that we saw a post had been sent to us which we genuinely believed was from a Salford resident. We don't have access to Salford council's media team, so we sent something we believed was of concern to residents and which made us very cross."
When told of Chief Supt Donnellan's comments, he said: "I feel very stupid now, and of course, if the police contact us, we will co-operate fully. If it turns out to be fake, of course, we will apologise."
READ NEXT:
The Mancunian Way: HS2 plans for Manchester are 'outdated'
London's £19bn Elizabeth line opens today - but where's the Crossrail for the North?
Greater Manchester unites against 'severely suboptimal' HS2 Bill in Parliament
