A man went to the press watchdog over a “misleading” reader’s letter which was printed in a regional daily.

Eoin Tennyson complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation over the letter, which appeared in the Belfast Telegraph.

The author of the letter had argued that the Republic of Ireland should follow the UK’s lead and leave the European Union, claiming that the Republic of Ireland initially voted against the Maastricht Treaty but were “forced to accept it by the bullies of Europe”.

They also said that more than 83pc of the Republic’s trade is with the UK and the remainder is shared with the EU and the rest of the world.

Mr Tennyson said that the Eleventh Amendment to the Irish Constitution which ratified the Maastricht Treaty was approved by 69pc of voters in 1992, and it was therefore misleading to report that Ireland had been “forced” to accept the Maastricht Treaty.

“He said that the article omitted a source for the claim that 83pc of the Republic’s trade is with the UK.

The Bel Tel said that the views which the complainant objected to, were those of a reader and these views were published in its reader’s letters column rather than an article in the newspaper.

After IPSO began an investigation into the matter, the Bel Tel offered to provide Mr Tennyson with a right of reply by giving him the opportunity to submit a letter for publication.

This resolved the matter to the complainant’s satisfaction.

No adjudication on breach of code was therefore made, and the full resolution statement can be read here.