Below are summaries of the latest complaints involving the regional press which have been resolved between the parties involved, with help from the Press Complaints Commission.

Hemel Hempstead Gazette
Jenny Brannock Jones of Tring complained that a reporter had attended her husband’s funeral without her prior knowledge, and that a photographer had taken a picture of his coffin without permission. The newspaper had also published her full address. (Clauses 3, 5)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper apologised for the attendance at the funeral without permission and for the publication of the complainant’s address, and indicated that it had taken steps to ensure that a similar situation did not arise again.

Essex Chronicle
Richard and Christina Smith complained that the newspaper had published inaccurate material about their family and published details of the family home. (Clauses 1, 3)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper annotated its records to reflect the complainants’ concerns.

Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Barry Khanan of Lancashire complained that an article inaccurately reported that his niece, Alicia Riaz, had made a telephone call to her friend on the night that she, her three sisters and her mother – the complainant’s sister – lost their lives in a fire in their home. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The newspaper explained that Alicia’s friend had made the claims regarding the telephone call which it had then published in good faith. When it became clear that the telephone call did not take place, the newspaper had immediately clarified the point in a follow-up article. The complaint was resolved on the basis of a published apology with the following wording: Barry and June Khanan: On November 2 last year we published a front page story reporting a 10-year-old girl's claim that she had spoken on the phone to Alicia Riaz on the night that she, her three sisters and her mother died in a fire started by her father at their Accrington home. We had interviewed the girl in the presence of her mother and grandmother but the following day we reported that police had investigated and established, by checking mobile phone records, that the call had never taken place. We would like to apologise for publishing a story which was later found to be false and for any upset that it caused relatives and friends of Barry and June Khanan.

Henley Standard
John Farrow, Chairman of the Goring Parish Council, complained that an article and photograph reporting on the opening of a new play area in the Bourdillon Recreation ground contained inaccuracies. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a correct photograph of the opening of the play area and clarified that the original photograph that was used had been taken after the event.

Middlesbrough Evening Gazette
Steven Hogg of Middlesbrough complained through solicitors Appleby, Hope and Matthews Solicitors that an article reporting his acquittal from a rape charge would have misled readers to believe that he had somehow escaped justice. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published the following clarification: In a report on March 14 (Rapist Smoked Cigar, Woman Tells Jury) we reported on the start of a trial at Teesside Crown Court in which a woman falsely claimed to be the victim of two serious sexual assaults by Mr Steven Hogg, of Middlesbrough. Following unreported evidence given by Mr Hogg, and witnesses for the defence, this woman's evidence was totally rejected by the jury. Mr Hogg was found innocent of the charges, as we reported on March 16 (Cheers As Man Is Cleared Of Rape). However, the evidence supporting Mr Hogg's account was not included in this report. We wish to clearly state that any impression that Mr Hogg was fortunate not to have been convicted is totally wrong and there was no intention to create such an impression.

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