Colleen Harris from the Commission for Racial Equality has been appointed a lay member of the Press Complaints Commission.

She will take her post on August 1, as one of ten public members of the Commission who have no connection to the newspaper industry.

She is currently director of strategy and communications for the CRE, before which she was the press secretary to the Prince of Wales.

Her appointment is for an initial period of three years.

Colleen said: "The PCC has a difficult job to do in deciding when an individual's right to privacy is trumped by the public's right to know, something that will be even more challenging in this age of digital communications.

"But I believe that, while not perfect, self-regulation has long been the only suitable way of promoting high editorial standards and achieving redress for intrusions and inaccuracies, while at the same time maintaining press freedom."

Her appointment was made by the PCC's Appointments Commission, which also reappointed Bishop John Waine to the PCC until August 1, 2007.