The regulator described the incident as 'a very significant inaccuracy about an issue of particular public importance'

Ofcom has ruled that Essex-based Radio Caroline breached broadcasting regulations after it mistakenly aired an announcement declaring the death of King Charles III.

The false messages were transmitted during The Barry Marsh Show, prompting the media regulator to find the station in violation of two key rules governing news accuracy and the timely correction of errors.

The incident, which occurred earlier this year, led Radio Caroline to issue an apology in May after pre-prepared files intended for use only in the event of the monarch's actual passing were played on air by a staff member without authorisation.

During the broadcast, listeners heard a message stating: "We have suspended our normal programmes until further notice as a mark of respect following the passing of His Majesty King Charles III."

The national anthem then played, followed by roughly 16 minutes of dead air.

According to Ofcom's ruling, the presenter stopped the files upon realising what had happened but "panicked and left the premises."

It was not until approximately half an hour after the false announcements first went out that an apology was aired.

The presenter told listeners: "I've just been informed that we've played in error some information a little earlier. I didn't hear this myself, but it is incorrect, it's a technical issue, and of course we apologise."

Ofcom confirmed it received two complaints regarding the broadcast and determined that Radio Caroline had violated rule 5.1, which mandates accurate and impartial news reporting, as well as rule 5.2, which requires swift on-air acknowledgement and correction of errors.

The regulator described the incident as "a very significant inaccuracy about an issue of particular public importance."

Ofcom noted that although the station's licensee had been monitoring output at the time and an engineer was already aware of the problem, reinstating the scheduled programme took considerable time.

This delay was compounded by the presenter streaming the show remotely.

Radio Caroline stated that the pre-prepared files came with "a set of strict instructions to presenters and managers" governing their use, but that the staff member responsible had played them out of curiosity.

The station said it "took the matter very seriously" and had responded "as soon as possible."

The individual in question was reprimanded and offered an apology for their actions.

To prevent any repeat of the incident, the station confirmed it had deleted the relevant files from the studio computer's desktop.

All presenters and support staff were additionally given a reminder about the correct procedures to follow.