Fact-Checking Policy

MetroReport.uk is committed to accuracy, transparency and accountability in all our journalism. This policy sets out the principles and procedures we follow to verify information before publication, how we handle uncertainty, and what we do when mistakes occur. Our aim is to ensure that every claim we publish — especially those involving statistics, public policy, infrastructure, transport, public spending or public safety — is supported by reliable evidence.

What we verify before publication

Before any article is published, editors and writers review all factual assertions for which the supporting evidence is not self-evident. We give particular attention to the following categories:

Statistics and data — figures from surveys, government reports, academic research or campaign groups must be traced to their original source.
Policy claims — statements about what a law, regulation or government programme does, will do, or costs.
Infrastructure and transport — details of projects, timetables, budgets, capacity changes or accessibility claims.
Public spending — reported sums of money from local or national budgets, grants, contracts or subsidies.
Public safety — crime statistics, incident counts, health and safety assessments, or risk statements about public services or environments.

We do not publish a claim in any of these areas unless at least one primary source can be cited, or, where that is not possible, we clearly attribute the claim and explain its basis.

Our source hierarchy

We rank sources according to reliability and proximity to the original fact:

Primary sources — original documents, datasets, legislation, court rulings, official transcripts and direct testimony.
Official records — government publications, regulatory filings, parliamentary records, local authority minutes and freedom of information responses.
Public data — datasets from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), gov.uk, the UK Parliament, devolved administrations and other official repositories.
Expert commentary — qualified specialists whose testimony is independently verifiable and relevant to the claim.
Clearly attributed references — all sources are noted in the article, and where applicable, linked to a detailed sources page. See our Sources & Standards page for further explanation of our referencing practices.

Verification workflow

Every article passes through a three-stage verification process:

Writer — the author sources all claims, provides citations or links, and notes any uncertainty in the copy.
Editor — the relevant editor (Managing Editor, Urban Affairs Editor, Community & Public Services Editor or Transport & Infrastructure Correspondent) reviews the article, checks that each claim is supported, and requests additional evidence where needed.
Standards desk — Marcus Ellery, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, conducts further checks on any content that involves sensitive claims, disputed data, high public interest or potential legal risk. He may also carry out spot checks on other articles to ensure consistency.

Handling uncertainty

When a claim cannot be verified to our satisfaction, we take one of three actions depending on the degree of confidence:

Attribute — clearly state who made the claim and on what basis, without endorsing it.
Caveat — publish the claim but explain any limitations, conflicting evidence or margins of error.
Omit — refuse to publish the claim at all if it cannot be adequately supported or if the uncertainty is too great for readers to form a reliable understanding.

We never present speculation as fact, and we do not use anonymous sources unless editors have confirmed their identity and credibility, and a compelling reason exists for anonymity.

Use of public datasets

Wherever possible, we rely on publicly available datasets, including (but not limited to) those published by:

Office for National Statistics (ONS)
gov.uk portals (including the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Home Office, and Department for Education)
UK Parliament (Hansard, bills, select committee reports, research briefings)
Devolved administrations (Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive)
Local authorities (open data platforms, council reports, budget documents)

We cite the specific dataset, publication date and relevant table or page number where possible, and provide links in our Sources & Standards section.

Corrections

When we discover an error, we correct it promptly and transparently. Our Corrections Policy explains how we handle mistakes, including the distinction between minor typographical errors and substantive factual inaccuracies, and how corrections are noted within articles.

Reader reports

We welcome reports from readers who believe an article contains a factual error. Please send details of the error, including a link to the article and supporting evidence, to factcheck@metroreport.uk. Our standards desk will review the report and, if necessary, initiate a correction. For general enquiries, see our Contact page.

For further information about our editorial standards, refer to the Editorial Policy. Meet the team responsible for our journalism on the Our Team page.