BBC are given a Geography fail by a visiting Tory MP after a map in their newly revamped £13m studio puts 'Italy' in eastern France 

  • Huge map at studios in Plymouth, Devon, places Italy in wrong place 
  • Tory MP Johnny Mercer spotted gaffe while touring revamped building
  • Germany also missed off and Canary Islands made to look far bigger 

By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

The BBC has confused Italy with eastern France in a blunder on a huge new world map at studios which have undergone a £13million revamp.

It shows England and France in their correct places - but the eastern part of the latter nation has been labelled as Italy, with Germany left off the map completely.

The schoolboy error was spotted by Tory MP Johnny Mercer as he was given a tour of the revamped 'state of the art' studios in Plymouth, Devon.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer tweeted about the error after spotting it on a tour of the BBC studios in Plymouth

Tory MP Johnny Mercer tweeted about the error after spotting it on a tour of the BBC studios in Plymouth

He tweeted a photo of the map and said: 'Cheered up by this at the shiny new BBC studios in Plymouth.

'My Italian geography is bad, but not as bad as theirs.'

The fancy map also distorts the size of the Canary Islands and makes them look far bigger than they are.

The BBC's editorial guidelines boast that accuracy is 'fundamental to our reputation'.

Former Royal Marine Mr Mercer found himself in hot water himself earlier this year, when it emerged that he had starred half naked in a shower gel advert for American TV.

Mr Mercer, pictured, MP for Plymouth Moor View, joked the map cheered him up about his Italian geography

Mr Mercer, pictured, MP for Plymouth Moor View, joked the map cheered him up about his Italian geography

The studios in Plymouth, Devon, have been revamped in a £13million project that started in January 2014

The studios in Plymouth, Devon, have been revamped in a £13million project that started in January 2014

He shot the advert in London before he was elected earlier this year but after he was chosen to contest the parliamentary seat for Plymouth Moor View in Devon.

Around 150 staff are employed at the Plymouth studios which broadcast BBC Radio Devon and regional TV news programmes, a weekly current affairs show and one-off documentaries for network television and radio.

A spokesperson for the BBC blamed the inaccurate map on a 'printing error' and claimed they had already planned for it to be changed before Mr Mercer's intervention.

They said: 'We were aware of the printing error and we had already planned for the graphic to be changed at no additional charge.'

BBC

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