Katie Hopkins ridiculed for sharing photoshopped road sign including Arabic greetings

The picture was part of a hoax shared online and quickly debunked

(Getty Images)

Katie Hopkins has been mocked for sharing a photoshopped version of a road sign including Arabic translations underneath, apparently believing it to be real.

The controversial columnist is often criticised for her views on immigration, the refugee crisis, Islam and a host of other issues, which are usually shared with her 641,000 Twitter followers.

On Thursday, Hopkins retweeted a post showing a digitally altered Google Map image of a sign at a junction on the A658 in West Yorkshire for Harrogate, Leeds Shipley and Keighley.

The image first appeared in an article by The New Observer website claiming signs around Bradford were installed at a cost of more than £100,000 because “English-only road signs were putting Urdu speakers at unnecessary risk.”

The New Observer has since removed the story and posted a statement on Facebook: “Unfortunately the story about Urdu street signs in Bradford, UK, appears to have been an elaborate hoax. We are investigating further, and if it is correct, will repost the story.”

The Arabic writing on the sign roughly translates to the greeting As-salaam A’alakom and the refugees welcome you. A number of people were quick to debunk the doctored picture.

Bradford councillor Nicola Pollard (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) praised residents for dismissing the road sign claims. She told The Telegraph and Argos: “It is absolute nonsense and Katie Hopkins is just trying to create controversy. I'm pleased to see the people of Bradford have got more sense than that.”

Bradford Council was also quick to discredit the story. Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Bradford Council's executive member for transport, said: “This is obviously a complete nonsense. It is a spoof story.”

Unsurprisingly, Hopkins has yet to delete her post or apologise for her error.