Social media users were critical after a Channel 5 presenter said part of Saddleworth was 'in Lancashire'.

Helen Skelton made the mistake on her new show ‘Dan and Helen's Pennine Adventure’, which sees the friends travelling through the Pennines.

While discussing their next steps over a coffee, Helen tells co-host Dan Walker that they will be canoeing through the Standedge Canal Tunnel, and will apparently be the first members of the public to do so.

Then, Helen describes the tunnel, which is the country’s longest, deepest and highest canal tunnel, to the audience, saying that it runs from “Diggle in Lancashire, to Marsden in West Yorkshire” – something Diggle has never been a part of.

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Social media users were quick to pick up on the mistake.

X (formerly Twitter) user Keith Richards posted: “Diggle is not in Lancaster [sic] Helen get your facts Right.”

Jane Barker posted: “Loving the show and great to see you having coffee in Uppermill! Just one thing you said the Standedge Tunnel went from Diggle in Lancashire.

“It’s not - it’s in YORKSHIRE - although technically it’s Greater Manchester since 1974.”

Part of Saddleworth, Diggle joined Greater Manchester as part of the Oldham borough on April 1, 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972.

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However, not everyone was happy with the changes, which saw areas like Bolton, Saddleworth, and Stockport taken out of Lancashire, the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Cheshire, respectively.

In fact, the people of Saddleworth still regularly celebrate their links with Yorkshire on Yorkshire Day.

In 2019, campaigners asked the ‘the full restoration’ of Saddleworth as part of Yorkshire.

The issue hasn’t gone away – with campaigners in other parts of the city-region making calls for their boroughs to return to their historic counties.

In May, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said he ‘could not ignore’ calls for Bolton to return to Lancashire, if a campaign had majority support.

However, the mayor said the calls were ‘backward looking’, adding that anywhere leaving Greater Manchester would miss out on the upcoming Bee Network transport system and other investments led by the city-region.