Mirror Apologise After Comments About Wallasey Toddler

28 December 2013, 09:25 | Updated: 28 December 2013, 09:37

George Johnson, 3, was a mascot at the Everton game on Boxing Day

George has a rare motility condition which means he can't eat or drink by himself, being fed via a tube.  

The system that feeds George sits in a backpack which he was wearing on Boxing Day when he was a mascot for the Sunderland team playing against Everton.

During Match of the Day, the Mirror Football tweeted: "A mascot with a backpack on. What is happening to the game we love?" This was then followed by the hashtags #AgainstModernMascots #AgainstModerBackpacks

'Team George', the group of family and friends working to raise money to help George, say the tweets we 'Heartbreaking'.

The Mirror Football later tweeted:

"Dear @_TeamGeorge We wish to make a full and public apology for the twitter comment last night"

"Clearly we we're not aware of the situation, and would never intend to offend a brave young man fighting an illness"

"we are now dealing with a member of the family about this privately"