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.

North West Evening Mail
Carol Pounder, of Cumbria, complained on behalf of her son, Wayne Pounder, that a photograph taken of him playing a slot machine at an amusement arcade was in breach of Clause 1 (Accuracy) and 3 (Privacy) of the Code. The caption to the photograph stated: "Out of control: Gambling brings many problems" and was used to illustrate a reader's letter which discussed a man from the area who had run up gambling debts of £30,000. The complainant said that readers would have been misled to believe Wayne was the man described in the reader's letter. She also said that the photograph was taken without his knowledge or consent in a place where he had a reasonable expectation of privacy. (Clause 1, 3)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following apology to the complainant: On March 3, 2006, we published a photograph of Mr Wayne Pounder on our letters page to illustrate a reader's letter about problem gambling. We would like to make clear that Mr Pounder was in no way connected to the information in the reader's letter. We would like to apologise to him for any misunderstanding or distress that was caused by the publication of the photograph.

Hamilton Advertiser
A man complained that two articles reporting on the death of his brother had contained intrusive detail and caused the family more pain in an already difficult time. Moreover, the second article had included photographs of the distraught family leaving the church after the funeral. (Clause 5)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper sent a private letter of apology to the complainant, indicating that the complainant's thoughts would be taken into account when reporting on similar tragedies in the future.

South Wales Argus
Councillor Robert C Bright, Leader of Newport City Council, complained that an article on food hygiene in Gwent was misleading and inaccurate. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following correction and apology: In an article highlighting the results of hygiene inspections of kitchens in some Gwent schools, printed on Wednesday May 24, we inadvertently included a photograph of the new St Joseph's RC School in Newport. We also reported the findings of an inspection which we stated had taken place last year. In fact the inspection had occurred two years earlier in the now demolished former St Joseph's RC School. We accept that St Joseph's RC School should not have been included and would like to apologise to the staff of the school and Newport Catering and to parents, for any distress caused.

News Shopper
Patrick Whelan of Greenwich complained that an article reporting on his daughter's death suggested that he had seen her a few days before her death and had told the inquest that he could not bear to speak to her. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The newspaper stood by its report but the complainant agreed to resolve his complaint through the publication of a statement on the PCC website which made clear that he had seen his daughter a week before her death – rather than a few days – and, although he did not speak to her at this time, it was not that he could not 'bear' to speak to her.

Derby Evening Telegraph
A woman from Derby complained that an article reporting on a girl who needed stitches after a dog bite was inaccurate. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the PCC published the following statement on its website setting out the complainant's position on the incident: that the girl had run up to the dog calling her name and stroking her head; that she had suddenly bent down grabbing the dog by its head, putting her face close to the dog's face and startling her; that the girl's face was not covered in blood; that telephone numbers were exchanged between the child's parents and the dog's owners; and that the police had tested the dog and stated that he was not a dangerous dog.

York Evening Post
Richard Paul, of York, complained that an article reporting on a road rage incident had contained inaccuracies. The article had contended that the complainant had repeatedly punched Sean Kirby in the face and chest and that – as a result – Mr Kirby had required hospital treatment. This was not the case. Moreover, the article had inaccurately set out that the complainant had been convicted of assault by beating, when in fact it had been common assault. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following clarification: In a recent article, we referred to a road rage attack by Richard Paul on Mr Sean Kirby. We have since discovered that although Richard Paul was convicted of common assault and criminal damage, Mr Kirby was not beaten repeatedly nor did he require hospital treatment as wrongly stated in our story. We regret any embarrassment this may have caused. The Editor also sent a personal letter to the complainant.