The bit that has had me in tears of laughter tonight is:
“Channel 4 and Peter Kay would like to state that the character of Keith Lard may have led some persons to wrongly believe that the character was based on a Mr. Keith Laird. We wish to make it clear that this is not the case, and would like to apologise to Mr. Laird and his family for the distress caused. We have also agreed to make a donation to the Fire Service Benevolent Fund and to Mr. Laird’s family for his and his family’s personal distress.”
“Mr. Laird’s contribution to fire safety in Bolton is well documented and his professionalism and personal integrity are not in any doubt. If you would like more information on fire safety either contact your local fire station or go to channel4.com/firesafety for a list of links to useful websites. This information has been put together with the co-operation of both Greater Manchester County Fire Service and Keith Laird.”
😯