London Student forced to apologise
The London Student newspaper has been forced to print a full page apology after printing a libellous report of the LSE-Kings riot last term. LSE Students' Union (LSESU) sent a scathing letter of protest to London Student demanding an immediate unconditional apology for a "wholly inaccurate" story (vol 26, issue 6) and accused the journalist in question of failing to "abide by even the most basic of journalistic standards."
London Student's report of the Barrel brawl incident on 2 December, 2005, during which over 200 drunk LSE Athletics Union students ran amok on KCL property and caused over £30,000 worth of damage, asserted that two representatives of LSESU were present and actively took part during the riot a claim which sparked the fury of LSESU. LSESU took objection to the fact that London Student had failed to contact one of these alleged rioters for comment and that they had relied on an "anonymous tip" for information. LSESU Treasurer Natalie Black was falsely implicated, she was in fact in public presence elsewhere during the entire incident and thus could have taken no part in it.
London Student editor, Patrick Ward, has accepted full responsibility for this "falsification" and other errors in the report, and included the original letter from LSESU with an apology in the 6 February edition of London Student.
The rivalry between KCL and LSE has been the stuff of legend amongst London universities, but the rowdy behaviour witnessed during the riot was widely condemned by all sides and was, arguably, the greatest escalation in recent memory. LSESU has since agreed to reimburse KCL for all damages for the "regrettable" incident and punish the students involved.
