WATCH: Doncaster TV trainspotting show accused of faking 'live' footage with old clips

A TV trainspotting show broadcast from Doncaster has been accused of fooling viewers by screening "live" footage - that was on YouTube five months ago.
A clip from the YouTube footage which the BBC said was live - when it was filmed in February. (Photo: YouTube/Mike Willcock).A clip from the YouTube footage which the BBC said was live - when it was filmed in February. (Photo: YouTube/Mike Willcock).
A clip from the YouTube footage which the BBC said was live - when it was filmed in February. (Photo: YouTube/Mike Willcock).

Eagle-eyed loco buffs blasted the BBC's Trainspotting Live for showing the clip of a freight train, suggesting it was happening there and then - when the clip had actually been uploaded onto the video sharing site in February.

The Sun said that host Peter Snow excitedly announced the film of a Class 66 diesel during Monday night’s new BBC4 show, suggesting it was taking place during the show's broadcast.

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Seconds before viewers saw it chugging along, he said: “We’ve just seen one going past. Now there we are, Class 66.”

But loco enthusiasts spotted that the footage of the eight-strong convoy at Bishton Flyover near Newport, South Wales, was identical to a video posted on YouTube on February 15. It showed the same eight engines in the same numbered order.

To add to their argument, the same tell-tale leafless winter tree was seen in the background.

The newspaper reported that angry trainspotters flocked to internet forums to rail against the BBC.

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One said: “Peter Snow said, ‘We’ve just got a live feed coming in of a freight train’ — which turned out to be a rake of 66s.

“Hmm, wasn’t that earlier this year? Come on the Beeb!! Let’s be honest about footage.”

A train buff called Infobleep expressed his fury by saying: “I don’t agree with lying to viewers with stated live footage that isn’t.

“The TV companies got stung over competitions not being correct. I don’t see this as different.”

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Glyn Murray, of rail enthusiast website National Preservation, said yesterday: “One group you cannot con is trainspotters.

“They notice all the nuance and are passionate about their hobby.”

The Sun said the programme also screened footage of the Doncaster-built Flying Scotsman — back on the tracks after a £4.2million rebuild.

It showed the legendary loco travelling from London Victoria in a clip that many viewers assumed had occurred earlier that day.

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But after studying the times that the Scotsman arrived at various stations on its route, seasoned trainspotters realised the excursion shown actually took place on June 4.

The newspaper reported that the BBC admitted that the film was not meant to be shown as live.

A spokesman told The Sun “It was made clear that rail enthusiasts have been filming material over the last few weeks.

“The footage of the Class 66 was intended to show viewers what live trainspotters were looking for.

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“It was not captioned as live on screen but in the excitement of a live broadcast, it was mistakenly suggested that it was a live spot.”

Parts of the three day broadcast were beamed live from Doncaster and earlier this week, we revealed how footage of two rail enthusiasts going loco over a freight train trundling through the station has gone viral.