After a news outlet falsely reported that sanitation workers were repeatedly trying to break into the home of a footballer, they took matters into their own hands, and have since been exonerated.
The fracas began when Vísir reported that, according to their sources, sanitation workers had repeatedly tried to break into the home of Icelandic footballer Heiðar Helgason.
The allegations made, along with the fact that there was little evidence for them, prompted eight garbage trucks to stop in front of the offices of 365, the company which owns and operates Vísir, and lean on their horns to voice their objections. Guðrún Guðmundsdóttir, a shift manager for the sanitation workers, told reporters that she believed the initial reporting singled out sanitation workers in general as being potential criminals.
Vísir issued an apology shortly thereafter, explaining that the initial story was discovered on Facebook. The reporter followed on the lead and spoke with Heiðar’s wife, who said she witnessed the incident.
MBL now reports that the police have concluded there was neither a break-in nor an attempted break-in involved in the matter. Rather, a newly-hired sanitation worker had been trying to find where Heiðar kept his garbage cans, checking near the garage and around the house to find them.
The lesson to be learned here, apart from being careful when reporting on those accused of crimes, is to make your garbage cans visible, which in turn makes the job of your local sanitation worker much easier.
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