A news agency boss with over 35 years journalism experience was issued his first-ever DA-Notice while reporting an exposure case involving an Army officer.

The Notice, formerly known as a D-Notice, is used to guide the media when reporting issues that could compromise national security but following it is only voluntary for publishers and editors.

In this instance it meant David Graham, boss of Watsons Press Agency in Blackpool, chose not to report the captain’s regiment or current whereabouts.

The captain was charged with exposing his private parts while on a trip to Blackpool but the case collapsed when the prosecution failed to prove that his actions had upset or offended anyone.

David said that the DA-Notice committee was contacted about the case which later requested that his regiment and location remained secret, even though the details had been aired in open court.

The DA-Notice was issued because the officer involved in the case failed to follow proper procedure by notifying his superiors that he was facing prosecution, and by instructing his defence lawyer to give information in open court about his unit and the work on which he was involved.

David told holdthefrontpage: “It is not every day a case of indecent exposure becomes an issue like this.

“There was no problem about his age and name – at first they were trying to get a complete banning order.

“When I got the call from Whitehall on my way home, I was taken aback to say the least.

“However, one has to appreciate the reasons for issuing the notice, my copy of which now adorns the office wall.

“It’s a voluntary system but nobody ever breaks it.”

Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Vallance, secretary of the DA Notice Committee, said the notice was issued under Standing DA-Notice Five, which covers covert and anti-terrorist operations and those involved in them and seeks to protect their identities, whereabouts any other information, including photographs, which could assist terrorist or other hostile organisations to identify potential targets.