Three new appointments have been made to replace a trio of members on the press watchdog’s complaints committee.

Nazir Afzal, Miranda Winrum and Andrew Pettie have been unveiled by the Independent Press Watchdog as replacements for outgoing members Matthew Lohn, Jill May and Elisabeth Ribbans.

None of the trio have regional press experience, with Andrew having worked in national media and the other two joining the committee as lay members.

Andrew has worked for 20 years as a journalist and editor for newspapers, magazines and publishers including the Telegraph Media Group, EMAP, the BBC and Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Nazir was previously chief crown prosecutor for the North-West of England and has more recently, worked as an international expert on extremism and radicalisation, while Miranda is currently a head of strategy and insight and on the Board of Forest Enterprise and was a member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Fitness to Practice committee between 2009 and this year.

IPSO Chairman Sir Alan Moses, pictured above left, said: “I am very pleased to welcome Nazir, Miranda and Andrew onto the Complaints Committee. Nearly 600 applied to join the Committee.

“Many of these would have been suitable to serve as independent members, exercising astute and impartial judgement. This response and the quality of the three successful candidates amply demonstrate the high standing and reputation of IPSO after three years.

“I would like to express my gratitude to and admiration for Matthew Lohn, Jill May and Elisabeth Ribbans who have served on the Complaints Committee since 2014. It is difficult to exaggerate the value of their independent analysis, commitment and hard work in dealing with thousands of complaints during this period.

“They have powerfully contributed to the success of the Committee and thereby provided an important service to the public whose complaints they have examined so fairly and assiduously.”