Tasteless government email exploited US terror attacks

When silicon.com ran a digital blunders competition earlier this year we were inundated with tales of email woe, but for all the smut and generally harmless mishaps there was nothing that could compare to DTI special adviser Jo Moore whose tactless email has left the government embroiled in an embarrassing scandal.

Moore has been exposed as the author of an email to colleagues, which encouraged them to exploit the terror attacks in the US to their own advantage.

Within an hour of the two hijacked planes crashing into the World Trade Center Moore typed an email suggesting it was "now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury" - encouraging them to release any potentially damaging news as it would just get lost amid the media clamour to cover the events in the US.

Tony Blair is currently standing by Moore who looks set to keep her job after making a public apology.