Don't get me wrong, I love Twitter.

I love being able to follow inspiring thinkers in my field, find out about the latest news and job offers, and ream off countless statuses without panicking that none of them are getting any 'likes' (take note, Facebook).

Still, brilliant as Twitter is, I couldn't resist a dramatic eye roll when scrolling through my feed on the way into London last night.

If Twitter is the place where you can access the most up to date news, it's also the place where you can jump to the most incorrect conclusion the fastest, and where your opinion will be shot down by a fellow tweeter faster than you can say "BBC breaking".

As police tried to get to the bottom of the Oxford Circus incident last night, the twittersphere wasted no time in Jumping To Conclusions for them.

Here are the inevitable stages of Twitter once a controversial news story has broken.

1. BBC Breaking

If you haven't been told by a push notification straight to your home screen, no doubt someone you follow will kindly retweet in seconds. Here's what BBC Breaking had to say last night:

Vague and unhelpful, yes, but who cares as long as we're first on the scene? The minions at the BBC send this little beauty into cyberspace, then sit back and wait for the madness to unfold.

2. Panic

Twitter erupts into general panic. Why? Why the heck not?

Reports of people fleeing in terror and general panic ignite, well, more panic.

3. The generic well-wishers

Well, I'd been planning on marching straight to the scene of Oxford Circus and seeing what I could do to help, but now that you've said that, Leona Lewis, perhaps I'd better not.

4. The 'I was there earlier's

Whether it was a few hours ago or over a week ago, these special snowflakes want you to know that they, at least, are safe.

5. The Daily Mail sticks its two-pennyworth in

While most reports concede that the hysteria at Oxford Circus was most likely caused by a fight breaking out on a platform, the Daily Mail bases its report on a two-week old tweet to say that yes, undoubtedly a lorry was involved.

Naturally, the completely unfounded news was deleted shortly after.

6. The political opportunists

This seems as good a time as any to make a plug for the NHS.

7. British Transport Police Try to Restore Order

Noticing that the chaos unfolding on Twitter is far more alarming than anything happening on Oxford Street, the British Transport Police take a moment to quiet the public.

8. The cynics

People who were in the panicked throng moments before separate themselves in order to have a good laugh at anyone still taking the event seriously.

9. It comes full circle

It seems only right that those who started the fire should put it out.

The BBC change tack and state that this whole Oxford Circus thing might not have been anything at all.

Next time there are reports of incidents like this, I'll be steering clear of Twitter until it can get its story straight.
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