The majority of complaints made to the Press Complaints Commission, which raise a possible breach of the Code of Practice, are resolved directly between the Commission's staff, editors and complainants.

These are either settled to the express satisfaction of the complainant following some remedial action by the editor or are not pursued by complainants following an explanation or other response from the publication.

Below are summaries of the latest complaints involving the regional press which fall into the first category.

The Courier
Susan Howell of Scotland complained that the newspaper had included her full address in an article on the subject of the arrest of her 18-year-old son. (Clause 3)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper, emphasising that its policy was indeed not to include house numbers when referring to addresses, ensured that all members of staff were aware of this and undertook not to publish the complainant's full address in future.

Banbury Guardian
Paul Hancock from Daventry complained that an article was misleading in reporting that he was to face charges in relation to involvement in a money laundering and drugs ring without making clear the nature of the specific charge against him. In addition, the newspaper had failed to report that he had subsequently been cleared by the court of any involvement. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The newspaper published a follow-up article making clear that the complainant, who had denied the charge against him (conspiracy to launder money), had been cleared by the court of any involvement in the alleged drugs ring.

Evening Telegraph
J Davies, of Kettering, complained that the reporting of her son's death was insensitive to her and her family during a time of grief. (Clause 5)
Resolution: The newspaper circulated a guidance note to employees reminding them of the provisions made by the Code of Practice for the manner in which reporting should be handled during a time of grief and shock.

Halifax Evening Courier
K Crossley of Halifax complained that an article invaded her family's privacy when it stated their name and full address in addition to publishing a photograph of the house. The complainant was concerned that this had happened despite requests for the newspaper not to do so. (Clause 3)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper amended its records to reflect the complainant's position and gave assurances that none of the information provided would be used without her express permission. The newspaper also explained why it considered it necessary to identify the complainant's precise location and apologised if the complainant found the initial tone of the correspondence aggressive.

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