Just because Joe Public believes the lies the tabloid press print as concrete fact does not mean that we can do anything about it. The spin of the story is clear in the fact that the RAF rebuttal was given a paltry single sentence.
I think the Mirror lost all credibility with regard to military matters after the "faked pictures" fiasco. That, and their inability to support the troops (as separate from the politics) during TELIC would appear to give them a clear grudge against the military.