A newspaper has been censured by the press watchdog for wrongly telling readers that a cystic fibrosis sufferer needed a new heart and lungs.

The Dorset Echo story breached both privacy and accuracy codes.

The newspaper published it without checking with the complainant – a 21-year-old man – that he was happy for it to appear.

The Weymouth man complained to the Press Complaints Commission about the story ‘Mum’s plea over organ donations’.

Published in January, the article reported that the complainant suffered from the disease and that his mother had said he needed a new heart and lungs.

The woman told the PCC she did not recall saying her son needed a new heart and lungs – and it was established that he did not.

The complainant also considered references to his health to be intrusive and he did not give consent for his details or his photograph to be published.

The Dorset Echo said the story was published in good faith, based on information from the complainant’s mother.

It also provided the reporter’s notes of the conversation which included the quote about the man needing a new heart and lungs.

A photocall was arranged with the complainant’s mother but she cancelled the appointment.

The Echo subsequently contacted the complainant’s colleagues to obtain a photo and said it was not aware the man objected to the publication of the information or photograph.

The Commission upheld the complaint, saying the Newsquest daily had breached both Clause 1 (accuracy) and Clause 3 (privacy) from its Code of Conduct.

The PCC’s adjudication said: “Clause 3 of the Code states that everyone is entitled to respect for his or her private life.

“The information in the article… was obviously highly personal. It was also accompanied by a photograph that widely identified him.

“While it was not in dispute that the complainant’s mother had volunteered that her son had the illness, it was also accepted that the newspaper did not obtain permission from the complainant himself to publish the information.”

On the accuracy breach, the PCC added: “Once the complainant himself had made clear that the information was inaccurate – both before and during his complaint – the newspaper should immediately have sought to remedy his concerns. It had not done so.”