An online rumour that TV presenter Des Lynam had been killed by a giant snowball started from a Government PC.

The Brighton-based TV presenter’s Wikipedia page was amended in May 2013 to state that he had been “killed after being hit by a giant snowball”.

The Daily Telegraph is now reporting that the amendment to the Wikipedia page was made from a government computer based in London.

The paper is reporting that the rumour regarding Mr Lynam was part of a series of embarrassing edits to the online encyclopaedia from computers with government IP addresses including insulting revisions to former Petworth pub owner Chris Evans’ biography.

An urgent investigation has now been launched in the Cabinet Office after the Liverpool Echo revealed the phrases “Blame Liverpool fans” and “You’ll never walk again” were added to Wikipedia’s Hillsborough pages by civil servants.

The Cabinet Office has since confirmed the inquiry, which is being overseen by Hillsborough campaigner Andy Burnham MP, will be broadened to include other Wikipedia abuse.