A convicted fraudster who claimed a reporter was “loud and aggressive” to him has had his complaint rejected by the press watchdog.

Andrew White, left, also expressed concern that the Loughborough Echo journalist had not made clear he was with a photographer, who had taken his picture without his knowledge or consent.

White had pleaded guilty to fraud by misrepresentation after inventing a story about a nine-year-old girl with terminal cancer, and appealing to local people and businesses to donate money in order to pay for her to go on a dream holiday.

He complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the Echo breached Clause 1 (Accuracy), Clause 2 (Privacy) and Clause 3 (Harassment) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in a report of the case.

The Echo had become suspicious about White’s fundraising when it found that a picture, which he claimed to be of the child and her family, had been taken by a photography company around six years previously.

White said was approached outside his workplace by the reporter, who had spoken in a loud and aggressive voice, which was so quick and intimidating that he had not thought to ask him to go away.

He said that as he got into his car, the reporter had shouted aggressively “what happened to all the money you stole from everybody,” although he claimed no money had actually been handed over.

White said he would have spoken to the reporter had his behaviour not been so intimidating, so he had not “declined to speak” as suggested in the article.

In response, the Echo said the reporter and the photographer who had accompanied him did not consider that he had raised his voice or spoken aggressively.

The journalist had asked a couple of questions but the complainant had remained silent before getting into his car.

The complaint was not upheld, and the full adjudication can be read here.