A newspaper watchdog group's code of standards committee has two new members.

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, and Trinity Mirror's regional newspapers editorial director Neil Benson, are to sit on the Editors' Code of Practice Committee, which reviews the voluntary code of standards overseen by the Press Complaints Commission.

Alan will join as a Newspaper Publishers Association nominee, while Neil has been nominated by the Newspaper Society.

Neil, elected President of the Society of Editors in October, replaces Gloucestershire Echo editor Anita Syvret, who stood down as an NS representative. Alan Rusbridger takes over as a national newspaper representative from Charles Moore, who resigned after giving up the editorship of the Daily Telegraph.

Code committee chairman Les Hinton said: "The high calibre of the committee membership demonstrates the industry's continuing commitment to self-regulation.

"The Code is at the heart of the debate about press standards and Alan and Neil will bring valuable experience and authority to our deliberations. I am delighted to have them on board."

The other existing code committee members are Perry Austin-Clarke, Bradford Telegraph and Argus; James Bishop, Illustrated London News; Mike Gilson, The News, Portsmouth; Sue James, Woman & Home; Tom Loxley, Maxim; Douglas Melloy, Rotherham and South Yorkshire Advertiser; Ian Murray, Southern Evening Echo; Paul Potts, Press Association; Derek Tucker, Press and Journal, Aberdeen; Neil Wallis, News of the World and John Witherow, Sunday Times.

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