Sky News Man Dead

net1

A former Sky News reporter who resigned after allegedly faking a report on the war in Iraq has been found dead at his home. It is thought he hanged himself.

James Forlong, 44, was discovered early on Saturday morning at Hove in East Sussex.

He had worked for Sky News for 10 years and former colleagues expressed shock at the news.

The correspondent resigned in July after allegations a report during the Iraq war had been faked.

The move followed Sky's announcement it had suspended Mr Forlong and another journalist and opened an investigation into the claims.

A police spokesman for Sussex Police said: "We can confirm that a 44-year-old man from Hove was found dead at his address in the early hours of Saturday morning."

He said the circumstances were not thought to be suspicious and a post-mortem was due to be carried out on Tuesday.

The reporter died weeks after he applied to the Prince of Wales for the job of press secretary. He was unsuccessful, and friends say it was the final blow for Mr Forlong.

Nick Pollard, head of Sky News, said: "This is a terrible personal tragedy and a shocking blow for James's family.

"Everyone here sends their deepest sympathies to James's wife and children."

The disputed footage was part of a pool report made available to other news organizations and was also shown on ITV News.

Sky executives found his report purporting to show a cruise missile launch from HMS Splendid in the Gulf in March was bogus.

Sky News bosses had to admit some of the scenes were in fact reconstructions or taken from library footage.

Forlong's producer, Lucy Chaytor, who was also implicated in the row, was cleared of any blame.

Mark Sharman, the deputy managing director of Sky Networks, who chaired the inquiry, said at the time: "The report gave the impression that HMS Splendid was engaged in action against Iraq, when, in fact, some of the scenes were reconstructions, or from library footage.

"We failed to make the distinction. This is unacceptable to a news operation, which has built a proud reputation for accuracy and integrity. Maintaining that reputation is paramount," he added.

Speaking after the inquiry, James Forlong said: "It was, in ten years of unblemished service with the company, a single lapse of judgment which is a source of deep regret.

"There was never any conscious intent to deceive viewers, though I accept that was the outcome.

"I accept the damage this has done to my integrity; something that has never before been called into question during a decade of working as a correspondent for Sky News in some of the most difficult and dangerous reporting environments in the world."