Tom Cruise didn't visit Derry but...

It was around about this time last week that a rumour about the Mission Impossible star, a broken down car and altruistic Derry folk started to surface.

The electronic highways and byways of the world that is social media was awash with this local Good Samaritan tale.

A website, which states pretty clearly that it is a “fantasy news site” and “none of the articles on our site should be considered true”, published an article about how, during a recent radio interview, Hollywood star Tom Cruise, recounted what happened when, on the outskirts of Derry, his car broke down.

Standing at the side of road not knowing what to do, Cruise, according to the website, was rescued by a group of Derry people who pulled over, helped repair his car and went on their merry way without even knowing they had just met one of the world’s most famous actors.

Sadly, it was completely and utterly false yet several established media organisations fell foul of the author’s sculduggery and published the article.

If there is one positive to come out of the time that Tom Cruise did not visit Derry it is this - Derry people don’t need false stories about well meaning locals helping out movie stars at the side of a road to know just brilliant and generous the people of this city are.

If you ask anyone who has appealed to the people of this city for help and they will tell you, Derry people are world class when it comes to helping others, especially their own.

On a lighter note, if by some bizarre twist of fate you’re reading this article Tom, you can always be guaranteed of a few helping hands if you ever visit our great wee city!