Birmingham City Council Deletes Tweet After Posting Photo of Alabama's Birmingham
Birmingham City Council inadvertently shared a social media update that depicted Birmingham, Alabama, instead of Birmingham, U.K., in relation to a £240,000 penalty imposed on a company for not installing a fire detection system at Solihull Heights. Observant commenters quickly pointed out the mistake, leading the council to remove the post and upload the correct image. The council reiterated the necessity of adhering to legal requirements for the safety of residents and mentioned ongoing fire safety investigations. This incident echoes a similar error from ten years prior when recycling brochures showcased Birmingham, Alabama. A spokesperson noted that the image was meant to illustrate an urban setting and that the leaflet received positive feedback despite one inquiry. The council has also been criticized for declaring bankruptcy and enduring a lengthy strike by sanitation workers.
Key facts
- Birmingham City Council posted a photo of Birmingham, Alabama, with a tweet about a U.K. development fine
- The post concerned a £240,000 fine for failing to carry out critical fire safety improvements
- The company failed to comply with an Improvement Notice requiring a fire detection system across three tower blocks at Solihull Heights
- The original post was deleted and replaced with identical text and a photo of Birmingham, U.K.
- About a decade ago the council sent recycling flyers featuring Birmingham, Alabama, images to residents citywide and refused to recall them
- A council spokesperson said the leaflet image was meant to symbolically represent an urban area
- The council received just one query about the skyline picture across 720,000 copies
- Birmingham City Council has previously declared effective bankruptcy and faced a sanitation workers' strike lasting over 18 months
Entities
Artists
- Jamie
- Andrew Thomas
- Matt Growcoot
Institutions
- Birmingham City Council
- X
- London Evening Standard
- Fleet and Waste Management Department
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Birmingham
- United Kingdom
- Alabama
- United States
- Solihull Heights