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.

Falmouth Packet
Alec Webb of Cornwall complained that an article covering the sudden closure of the company for which he worked included a comment from him which he disputed having made. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The newspaper defended its position by arguing that the reporter concerned was adamant that he had made the comments attributed to him and that this appeared to be confirmed by his notebook. The complaint was resolved when the newspaper acknowledged that the situation had become something of a stalemate as both the complainant and the reporter stood by their respective positions.

The Birmingham Post
Richard Dewsbery, a barrister in Birmingham, complained that an article had inaccurately represented the frustration that barristers felt with the Lord Chancellor who had not introduced the pay reviews that he had promised. He said that the consequences of this were that criminal barristers' pay was not in line with other public sector workers' income. He also pointed out that the article stated that barristers received an hourly rate of £46.50 when in fact this legal aid figure was on a per case basis. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published an article written by a Birmingham based barrister which addressed the points the complainant had raised in his complaint.

Clitheroe Advertiser and Times
David Fortune of Blackburn complained that a letter had been published in favour of a controversial proposed woodland burial ground from a person who did not appear to exist. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper accepted that it most likely had been deceived in this instance and made clear that its procedures for the verification of email correspondence had been tightened accordingly.

Blackpool Evening Gazette
C Mullender of Blackpool complained that an article which reported his conviction for failing to notify the Department of Work and Pensions of a change of circumstances – and obtaining benefits of £15,000 accordingly – contained a number of inaccuracies. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper marked its internal records to reflect the points raised by the complainant.