Click here for the full faked picture

James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, was last night facing calls for his resignation after being accused of helping fake a photo-call.

Mr Purnell, who recently lectured the media about the importance of trust, was pictured in a doctored photograph that suggests, falsely, that he had attended an event at the same time as other MPs.

This month’s issue of the Thameside and Glossop Acute NHS Trust staff newsletter features a picture of local MPs on the site of a new hospital. Mr Purnell, MP for Stalybridge and Hythe, is shown smiling next to his colleagues on the front page of “Staff Matters”.

The truth, however, is that the Culture Secretary turned up 20 minutes late to the event in July and his image was “merged” into the picture afterwards. The faked photograph was distributed to the local media as well as being used internally.

The NHS trust today gave a detailed statement explaining how the ‘faking’ had been done.

“Unfortunately, due to his hectic ministerial schedule James Purnell was late for the photo-shoot, and arrived shortly after the other MPs had to leave,” it said.

“All the MPs had gone to great efforts to show their support, and as we would not be able to stage a repeat of this historic day for the hospital, we decided to take a photograph of Mr Purnell in the same spot very shortly after, and merge it with the earlier photograph, to which Mr Purnell kindly consented.”

However Mr Purnell’s aides privately claimed last night that he had not realised what the hospital planned to do.

A spokeswoman for Mr Purnell said: “He had his photo taken by himself. He thought they would use the photo alongside the other one. In no way did James say ‘Just add me in so it looks like I was there’.”

Regardless of whether he connived in the fakery, however, the publication of the doctored photograph is highly embarrassing. His actions could have breached codes of conduct across the media industries over which he has responsibility, including Press Complaints Commission rules.

The incident occurred a week after the furore over the faking of a BBC trailer advertising a documentary on the Queen. A wave of broadcasting scandals followed.

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