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​News Report Of New Lorry Driver Goes Viral

​News Report Of New Lorry Driver Goes Viral

The viral footage explains how the UK government is drafting in prisoners to help deal with the lorry driver shortage.

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A news report about a prisoner working as a temporary lorry driver amid the staffing shortage has gone viral, having left social media viewers in stitches.

The recent ITV News segment revealed that prisoners were being roped in to help solve the ongoing lorry driver shortage, with Justice Secretary Dominic Raab seen driving about in a vehicle with a convict to show the scheme in action.

Newsreader Mary Nightingale explained from the studio: "Prisoners could be part of a solution to the recent lorry driver shortage, according to the Justice Secretary.

"Radical plans unveiled today where serving inmates will be recruited to drive trucks. It's seen as offering offenders a second chance, but there are doubts over just how much it will actually help."

A person filming the TV screen from home clearly knew the punchline coming, and narrated as Nightingale spoke.

"Go on!" they said excitedly.

"Yeah, go on! What? Wait for it! Wait for it!"

The footage then cut to ITV's Consumer Editor Chris Choi, who revealed more about the scheme as we saw Raab climb into a lorry.

Choi said: "Government Justice Secretary driven by a prisoner. Dominic Raab today highlighting a scheme where convicts are helping with the HGV crisis."

ITV

At this point, a man called Dean comes on screen, at which point the person watching at home said: "Here we go!"

Choi continued: "Behind the wheel was Dean. He's on day release from jail, working in haulage.

"His offence was importing drugs involving a lorry."

The bloke filming the segment then burst out laughing, clearly enjoying the irony of someone who committed a crime 'involving a lorry' driving trucks for the government.

The clip soon went viral on TikTok, and was also shared on Twitter, racking up thousands more likes and retweets.

One person commented: "You can't write it!!"

Another added: "It's perfect storytelling lmao."

Later in the news report, Dean told ITV News that he wanted to make things 'right' by helping.

ITV

He said: "I need to be able to get on with my life. I've wronged, now let me be right.

"I do understand people's concerns with it but at some point, the punishment needs to stop.

"You can't just lock people up forever and then punish them forever.

"I'm earning money, I pay tax. A percentage of my money goes back into the victim support fund as well."

Raab has said he believes the offer of a second chance will encourage ex-offenders and existing inmates away from a life of crime.

Speaking about the scheme to LBC, Raab said: "The call centres, the HGV companies, those with shortages, those who are recruiting and can't get British staff from outside prison to do the job - why shouldn't we actually say, do you know what, this is plugging some staff shortages, this is helping these people to go straight and this is cutting reoffending?

"So I say to the critics, look, I can demonstrate it works, this is making your community and the public safer - this is just win-win. It's smart policy and it's smart politics."

Featured Image Credit: ITV

Topics: Viral, UK News, TV and Film, News