The Press Complaints Commission saw a 39 per cent jump in the number of complaints that it received last year compared with 2002.

There were 3,649 complaints made - up from 2,630 the year before.

Among those complaints was a 10 per cent rise in those that fell under the terms of the press Code of Practice.

At the same time there was a rise of 21 per cent in the number of complaints resolved as a result of the Commission's intervention.

Commission chairman Sir Christopher Meyer said: "This remarkable increase in the overall number of complaints that we received last year reflects the continuing high-profile of the Commission, the proactive work that we do in educating people about how to use the Code, the lengths to which we have gone to make complaining easy and the increasing willingness of members of the public to complain in numbers about issues that they feel strongly about.

"I am very pleased that the number of resolved complaints greatly outstripped the increase in complaints that fell under the Code. This is a great tribute to the continued dedication and ability of our team of complaints officers."

More detailed analysis of the figures is taking place, which will be published in the Commission's annual report in the spring.

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