Yesterday, I discussed the curse of the literal - where one misplaced letter can make all the difference and spell embarrassment.

The Daily Mail website was the target after it reported that the freezing conditions had led to certain parts of the country being hit by "snot" when they meant "snow".

However, I'm a great believer in holding up your hands to your own failings and today it's The Northern Echo's turn.

Our website has been carrying a story about how police pepper-sprayed a naked couple who refused to stop having sex in a Bishop Auckland pub toilets.

We've just had a call to the newsdesk, pointing out that we were referring to the scene of the crime as "a pubic house".

The "l" has been swiftly inserted. If I had access to pepper-spray...