The press came under heavy fire at a public debate over media coverage of the Bridgend suicides, reports Media Lawyer.

The father of one of the 20 young people who have taken their own lives in the area since the start of last year told the meeting of the "stress and heartache" he had suffered regularly seeing his son's photo in the papers.

He also told a gathering of around 100 people in the south Wales town that his daughter was receiving counselling and his wife was on medication following the death.

The Press Complaints Commission had organised the debate to hear the views of residents in the Bridgend area about how the press had covered the spate of suicides.

Sitting on the panel were Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon, Ofcom Wales director Rhodri Williams and South Wales Evening Post editor-in-chief Spencer Feeney.

During the debate, which was hosted by PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer, both the Commission and the media were widely criticised.

The media was accused of blackening the name of Bridgend, intruding on people's grief and insensitive coverage of the deaths.

Sir Christopher was asked why the PCC had not gone to the town earlier to observe what had been happening and why many people did not know of the watchdog's existence.

He told the meeting the Commission had only received one complaint about coverage of the story and that was about a suicide outside of the 20.

"We came here and found a terrific head of steam of indignation," he said.

"It is clear people are very steamed up here but people didn't know how to complain.

"Newspapers have a public duty. There is a public interest to report on the kind of tragedies that have taken place in Bridgend.

"Having said that, there are rules in the Code of Practice which concern harassment, intrusion into grief and shock and the like."

He added that the PCC would be looking into the right of newspapers and magazines to use photographs people have put on the internet without permission.

Sir Christopher also told the debate the PCC had contacted South Wales Police and other agencies to ensure the bereaved knew what service it provided. He said he would take away all the issues raised during his visit to see if anything could be learned.

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