Below are summaries of the latest complaints involving the regional press which have been resolved between the parties involved, with help from the Press Complaints Commission.

Stratford Midweek Herald
A man complained on behalf of the victims of a paedophile that a sentencing report contained graphic detail about the abuse suffered by the children including the distressing comments made by one of the victims. The complainant raised concerns that readers may have been able to identify the victims who would have to deal with readers knowing the explicit details of their ordeal. (Clauses 7, 11).

Resolution: The newspaper accepted that the concerns raised by the complainant were “well founded” and that editorial policy to remove salacious details from court reports had not been followed in this instance. However, the newspaper did not consider that such a lapse had itself established a breach of the Code.

The newspaper offered to publish an apology but the complainant said he did not wish to risk a further editorial lapse. He decided that no further action should be taken in respect of the matter. He asked, however, for the details of the complaint to be recorded on the PCC’s website.

Cleethorpes Chronicle
Steve Hollingsworth, Managing director of the Grimsby & Scunthorpe Media Group, complained that an article was inaccurate and misleading when it stated that 58 jobs were “expected to be lost at the Grimsby Telegraph after a sister company announced that it was looking at closing the paper’s printing press”. (Clause 1).

Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following clarification:

“Our article of 2 October headlined ‘Jobs threat at the Telegraph’ stated that 58 jobs were ‘expected to be lost at the Grimsby Telegraph after a sister company announced that it was looking at closing the paper’s printing press’. Following a complaint by the owners of the Grimsby Telegraph to the Press Complaints Commission, we would like to make clear that any possible loss of employment related to employees of Harmsworth Printing (HPL) – which prints the paper – rather than the newspaper itself.”

Stornaway Gazette
Chrissie M Burr, of Stornoway, complained that an article which claimed that she had been appointed as a consultant to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar was inaccurate and that she had been denied an opportunity to reply. The complainant also claimed that the article had intruded into her private life. (Clauses 1, 2, 3).

Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following statement:

“Further to our article of 8 May headlined ‘Consultant Position Unease’, we would like to make clear that Mrs Chrissie Burr had not been appointed as a consultant to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. We also reported speculation that a new head of services position had been created specifically for Mrs Burr, a claim which remains unsubstantiated. Mrs Burr was not contacted prior to the publication of the article and we apologise for any distress caused.”

Western Gazette
Adrian Strong of Starlight Childcare complained that an article about a failed application to change the use of a dilapidated building at Piddlehinton Enterprise Park, to allow the creation of a daycare centre, contained the inaccurate claim that his company Starlight Childcare operated a nursery. In fact, the business operated a childminding service.

The complainant also indicated that the article had misleadingly referred to the care that was currently on offer: the childminding service in Piddlehinton did cater for children under the age of 2, but did not have any spaces available. (Clause 1).

Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification in the following terms:

“Further to our recent article (Nursery rejection ‘will hit families’, 2 October), The Western Gazette would like to make clear that Starlight Childcare currently operate a childminding service and not a nursery. Adrian Strong has also asked us to clarify that – contrary to our article – the current childminding service in Piddlehinton does cater for children under the age of 2. However, there are currently no spaces available.

The Argus
Caroline Langdon, of Reading, complained that an article reporting that Andre Genestin – who had been convicted of murdering his wife Catherine – was appealing the length of his sentence contained the inaccurate claim that she had been pregnant at the time of her death. (Clause 1).

Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification in the following terms:

“On 9 September, The Argus carried a report stating that Catherine Genestin was pregnant at the time of her murder. Her husband Andre Genestin claimed during his trial for her murder that Catherine had told him she was expecting, although a post-mortem examination found that she was not pregnant. We are happy to set the record straight.”