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.

Lancashire Evening Post
Coun Alan Valentine complained that an article was inaccurate when it stated that he had not attended a committee meeting at Preston City Council for two years. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complaint was resolved when the newspaper published a clarification which outlined that the period covered two municipal years and not two calendar years and that the complainant had attended seven committee meetings from January to April 2003.

Evening Standard
Dawn Brunton of London complained that an article comparing alleged similarities between an attack she had suffered and the murder of Amelie Delagrange was inaccurate. She was also concerned that her photograph had been used without permission. (Clauses 1, 3)
Resolution: The newspaper apologised if the article had caused distress and agreed to mark its library files and databases with her concerns. It also agreed not to use the photograph again without permission and made a payment to the complainant for the material she had provided to its reporter.

Reading Weekend Post
T Sumner complained (through the agency of solicitors), that a picture of the car wreckage in which her two daughters were caught – one fatally – intruded into the family’s grief and shock. (Clause 5)
Resolution: The newspaper published an apology for the distress that the image caused.

Evening Leader (Wrexham and Flintshire)
V McWade complained that an article about her son’s court case contained inaccuracies. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The complainant accepted the editor’s offer to publish a clarification on the matter.

Mid-Devon Advertiser
B Kaye complained that a column discussing the formation of the state of Israel contained inaccuracies. (Clause 1)
Resolution: The newspaper printed a letter from the complainant allowing him an opportunity to reply to the disputed points.