THE Margin discovered a wonderful faux pas committed last week by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), the new owners of Belfast's pro-unionist News Letter.

MGN, no doubt mindful of unionist attitudes to the Daily Mirror, were quick to state that there would be "no change to the editorial stance of the News Letter". But in the same press statement MGN scored a rather embarrassing own goal by referring to the North as "the six counties".

For those unfamiliar with Northern sensitivities (a group which clearly includes MGN's press advisers), the six counties is a germ used solely by nationalists.