Journalists across the Trinity Mirror regional press network were apparently encouraged to write stories asking whether a drive-thru Greggs would be coming to their areas.

One well-placed source contacted Press Gazette to say that journalists at their title were “appalled and angry” to be publishing a story which they saw as little more than “clickbait”.

The source said that there was a “three-line whip” to write a localised version of the story across various Trinity Mirror titles. However, another source denied this and said this was not the way the company operates.