The BBC has removed a video of a teenager accused of murdering three girls in Southport after it emerged he once starred as a Doctor Who character in a BBC Children In Need advert.
In the now-deleted clip from 2018, Axel Rudakubana is seen leaving the Tardis dressed as the Doctor, wearing a trench coat and tie to look like the show’s former star David Tennant.
The then 11-year-old tells viewers: “It’s that time of year again”, before offering advice on how best to raise money for the charity.
It is understood the teenager was found for the video through a casting agency and had nothing to do with any Children In Need projects.
A BBC Children In Need spokesperson said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone impacted by this shocking case and we have removed the video from all of our platforms out of respect to them.”
The 17-year-old, from Banks, in Lancashire, appeared at Liverpool crown court on Thursday. He was named after reporting restrictions were lifted.
Rudakubana is charged with the murders of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; the attempted murders of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons; and possession of a bladed article.
He was remanded to youth detention and will next appear in court in October.