Sources & Standards

At MetroReport.uk, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable and transparent reporting on UK city life and urban affairs. Every article we publish is built on a foundation of rigorous sourcing and verification. Our reporters and editors rely on primary sources, official records, publicly available data, and direct testimony from verified individuals. We do not publish unchecked claims, anonymous speculation or material derived solely from unverifiable social media posts.

Our editorial process requires that each piece of information that is critical to a story is traceable to a named source or a published official document. Where sources request anonymity, this is granted only after senior editorial approval under our editorial policy, and the reasons for anonymity are clearly stated in the article. All data, statistics and figures drawn from third-party research are checked against the original publication, and we link directly to the source wherever possible.

Every article is subject to a structured review that includes fact-checking, source verification and editorial oversight before publication. Our fact-checking policy details the specific procedures we follow, including the use of primary documentation, cross-referencing with official records and consultation with subject-matter experts. For a full explanation of how we ensure independence and accountability, please see our editorial policy.

Official and primary sources

We draw extensively on the following official and statutory bodies for data, legislation, policy documents and public records. These sources form the backbone of our reporting on local government, public services, housing and the economy.

GOV.UK – the single central portal for UK government publications, ministerial statements, policy papers, consultations and departmental statistics.
UK Parliament – official record of parliamentary proceedings, bills, committee reports, written questions and answers, and legislation as enacted.
Office for National Statistics – UK’s largest independent producer of statistics, covering population, employment, earnings, housing, crime and the economy at national and local authority level.
National Audit Office – independent scrutiny of public spending, providing value-for-money reports on government programmes, local authority finances and major infrastructure projects.
Local Government Association – cross-party membership organisation representing councils in England and Wales, publishing research, briefings and data on municipal services and funding.
UK Statistics Authority – independent regulator that monitors the quality and integrity of official statistics, including assessments of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Transport and infrastructure authorities

Our coverage of public transport, commuting, road and rail infrastructure, and regional accessibility depends on authoritative sources in the transport sector. We use the following agencies for data, project updates, policy documents and operational reports.

Department for Transport – government department responsible for transport policy, funding, legislation and major infrastructure programmes across England.
Transport for London – integrated transport authority for London, providing data on Tube, bus, rail, cycling and road network performance, fares and investment.
Office of Rail and Road – independent safety and economic regulator for railways and monitor of England’s strategic roads, publishing enforcement data, network performance and compliance reports.
National Highways – government company responsible for operating, maintaining and improving England’s motorways and major A roads, with data on traffic, roadworks and scheme delivery.
Network Rail – owner and operator of Britain’s rail infrastructure, publishing timetables, performance data, investment plans and station improvement programmes.

Regulatory and standards bodies

We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and professional standards. The following organisations are among those we reference for regulatory guidance, data protection obligations and advertising compliance. We also voluntarily adhere to their codes of practice.

Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) – independent regulator of the UK press, administering the Editors’ Code of Practice and handling complaints about editorial content.
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – UK’s independent authority for data protection and freedom of information, providing guidance on privacy, subject access requests and lawful processing.
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – independent regulator of advertising across all media, ensuring ads are legal, decent, honest and truthful.

How to challenge our reporting

We take accuracy and accountability seriously. If you believe we have made an error, omitted important context, or published material that is misleading, we encourage you to contact us directly. Our dedicated corrections policy sets out the procedure for submitting a complaint, the timeline for response, and how we issue corrections, clarifications or retractions.

To request a correction, please email the corrections team at corrections@metroreport.uk with the article headline, URL, a summary of the alleged error and any supporting evidence. For factual disputes that do not require immediate correction, or if you wish to have a claim independently verified, you may also contact our Standards & Fact-Checking unit at factcheck@metroreport.uk. All correspondence is reviewed by our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Marcus Ellery, and will receive a substantive response.

We also welcome tip-offs and information from readers. If you have a story, document or data point you believe we should investigate, please see our Tip Us page. For any other general or editorial enquiries, please visit our Contact page.