- Mysterious image appeared without comment at around 10.35am today
- The photograph was on the official departmental account for around 30 minutes
- Nobody at Brexit Department was able to explain where the photo came from
The Brexit department posted a picture of a ‘tank’ surrounded by soldiers on its official Twitter account today with no explanation as to why.
The image – which could be seen as an incendiary provocation to some in Brussels – was available for around half an hour by a direct link.
It will raise serious questions about security on official communications channels at David Davis’s department.
The department said the image, which was tweeted without any context or accompanying text, illustrated military cooperation and feature both British and French soldiers with an armoured personal carrier.
The Brexit department posted a picture of a tank surrounded by soldiers on its official Twitter account today with no explanation as to why
The Tweet will raise serious questions about security on official communications channels at David Davis’s (file image) department
Bizarrely the Tweet could not been seen by visitors to the Department for Exiting the European Union’s Twitter account.
But it could be re-Tweeted and liked by users, meaning it still spread rapidly across the social network.
A spokesman at the Brexit department said: ‘This image is part of a wider package of graphics to highlight the need for the UK and EU to continue our long-established relationship when it comes to security when we leave the EU.
‘The image illustrates military cooperation – it shows soldiers from the UK and France working together on a joint exercise.’
Tom Brake, the Lib Dem MP and Best for Britain supporter, told MailOnline: ‘Now we know the Government were serious when they talked of a war cabinet.
‘Yet cooperation with our EU partners is likely to secure a better deal for the UK than parking our tank on their lawn.’
Twitter experts suggested the Tweet could have been a ‘promoted’ message, where a user pays for a missive to be pushed into other users’ feeds.
The bizarre image prompted mockery from some Twitter users, with Labour’s shadow Brexit team posting a confused emoji.
The bizarre image prompted mockery from some Twitter users, with Labour’s shadow Brexit team posting a confused emoji