POLICE have issued an apology after they released a picture of a person who had nothing to do with an incident under investigation.

A Gloucestershire Police spokesperson said: On Thursday, March 23 we issued a press release titled Appeal to identify man following robbery of phone in Cheltenham and suspicious activity in Lydney. 

“The following day (Friday,  March 24) we asked media outlets to stop using an image of a man featured in the appeal.

“The photo was of a man with an uncovered face from an incident in Lydney. 

“It was published alongside images of a man wearing a face mask from a Cheltenham incident in which a woman had her phone stolen.

“However, through enquiries with the local council it was established that the man in the images from Lydney is a certified contractor and that there is no evidence to link him to the theft of the phone in Cheltenham.

 “We apologise for the distress caused to the man and ask anyone still sharing his image on social media or online to remove it.”