Livingston Football Club has today banned The Scottish Sun and The Sun Group newspapers from the Tony Macaroni Arena.

This follows a salacious and factually misleading article featured in the newspaper and online titled: “Suspected cocaine stash found in toilet of Scots Premiership outfit Livingston’s stadium.”

The West Lothian Youth Foundation manages the stadium on behalf of the club and exists to promote community participation in sport. One of their stated aims is to “encourage disadvantaged youths and youths at risk of adverse experiences to take up worthwhile opportunities and to divert them from unsocial activities”.

The Scottish Sun’s article makes the following false and contradictory claim:

“A suspected cocaine stash was found in a toilet at Livi’s stadium”.

Despite admitting an empty bag was handed to a WLYF member of staff, the Sun chose to publish a stock photo from Getty Images of a bag full of white powder. The club views this as a despicable misrepresentation of the facts.

The Scottish Sun then quotes a source at the club, but in the very next sentence states “Livingston FC would not comment.”

It’s a disgraceful piece of scaremongering over an empty bag. The reporter was issued with a statement from the WLYF but chose not to refer to it. No one at the club was asked for a statement.

The Club regularly feature “Kick addiction out of your life” advertising on behalf of Narcotics, Alcohol, and Gamblers Anonymous free of charge and we have a no tolerance policy within the stadium.

The Sun and its group newspaper reporters are barred from the stadium with immediate effect. Livingston Football Club is also preparing a formal complaint to the press regulator.