The News and Star has been cleared over any wrongdoing after it published a report about the death of a well-known local GP.

The Press Complaints Commission received a complaint from his widow alleging the article, which appeared under the headline “Doctor found dead”, was sensationalist due to its prompt publication.

Doctor Stephen Thornhill’s parents had not yet been informed of his death when the article appeared.

But the paper told the Commission that the doctor’s death had been confirmed to the newspaper in a press statement released by North Cumbria Health Authority and by Cumbria Constabulary.

The police had also confirmed the details subsequently published relating to the circumstances of the tragedy – although the published details were still officially unconfirmed when they appeared.

The newspaper apologised to the family for any distress that the reporting of the “unexpected and dramatic” details of the death had caused but argued that the piece was published as a respectful tribute to a prominent local figure, and did not appear to have broken news of the tragedy to any of Dr Thornhill’s relatives.

Catriona Thornhill made her complaint to the PCC under Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 5 (Intrusion into grief and shock) of the Code of Practice.

The PCC ruled the complaints were not upheld.

In the adjudication it said: “It was clear that the family and colleagues of Dr Thornhill had found publication of details in the article so soon after his death extremely distressing.

“The complainant would not have objected to the mere reporting of the incident; the subject of the complaint was rather the details contained within the piece and the manner in which they were presented, in light of the short elapse of time since the tragedy.”

But the details of the incident were properly presented as conjecture and explained the coroner had yet to comment.

Also, the article had not broken news of Dr Thornhill’s death to the next of kin and the newspaper did not appear to have approached any family member at such a difficult time.

Regarding the allegation of sensationalism, the Commission decided the article had been written as a straightforward news report, setting out the GP’s many positive achievements in a respectful way.

For the full PCC adjudication, click here.

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