B&Q admits 'leaked' Fifty Shades of Grey memo was a fake

The real memo sent to staff in the wake of the story.

A B&Q "leaked memo" warning staff of a rush to "buy rope, cable ties and masking or duck tape" in the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey was in fact made up, ITV News has discovered.

The original note - which B&Q has now admitted was fabricated - claimed store managers would need to "anticipate the need for extra stock" and encouraged staff to "familiarise themselves with the contents" of the book or film.

However, a genuine note to staff seen by ITV News has reassured them that the coverage was a result of a "spoof memo" released to the press by the company's "naughty" PR team.

A picture of the real memo sent to staff in the wake of the story.

In a statement, B&Q admitted that it had been playing the media for fools.