CONTROVERSIAL columnist Katie Hopkins has been ridiculed after apparently being taken in by a fake Bradford street sign.

The photo, shared by the outspoken broadcaster on Twitter, shows a street sign showing the way to places like Shipley and Keighley, with a translation in Arabic.

An apparently outraged Ms Hopkins shared the photo to her 641,000 followers, adding the comment: "Give me strength. Stick up a chuffing sign for English Language School."

But many Twitter users were quick to point out the image had been doctored and that the real sign, at the junction of Fagley Lane and Harrogate Road in Eccleshill, had no such translation.

Some accused her of encouraging intolerance and division, while others pointed out that the 'translation' for Harrogate on the doctored photo was in fact the Arabic greeting Asalamu Alaikum, meaning 'peace be upon you'.

In Bradford, the reaction to the Twitterstorm was one of bemusement.

Local councillor Nicola Pollard (Lib Dem, Eccleshill) said: "It is absolute nonsense and Katie Hopkins is just trying to create controversy.

"I'm pleased to see the people of Bradford have got more sense than that."

Ratna Lachman, director of racial justice organisation Just West Yorkshire, added: "Katie does not appear to be well-informed as a broadcaster, but then facts were never her strong suit.

"If Katie knows anything about the Conservative government’s policy, she will know that funding for English language classes has been drastically cut.

"So even if we were to take the doctored street sign at its face value, the truth is the street direction is really pointing nowhere – rather like much of Hopkins populist rhetoric which is all frills and no substance."

Ms Hopkins has not yet responded to requests for a comment and has not removed the image from her Twitter feed.

The fake photograph appears to have originated from a website which has published a spoof news story claiming the signs were being installed by Bradford Council thanks to funding form the European Union.

Yesterday, the council's media team took to Twitter to point out there was no truth to the report.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Bradford Council's executive member for transport, said: “This is obviously a complete nonsense. It is a spoof story.”