As most would be aware we were the victim of a hoax late Wednesday afternoon, one that we fell for hook line and sinker, and made an absolute idiot of ourselves both writing and pursuing. Based on the information that we had been provided – and which we had checked, based on what had been provided – we wrote and had published things that were utterly unfair to a range of innocent participants, actions for which we feel huge remorse. It then turned out that the documents that we had been provided, including purported phone records, had been forged. The moment that we realised this we immediately ripped our stories down and issued urgent retractions and apologies before most readers had the chance to read them, but still far too late. It should never have happened.