A woman went to the press watchdog after a regional daily ran a comment from her which featured in a council press release.

A statement by Amanda Lamb featured in a story run by the Shields Gazette, but she claimed she had not consented to this being published.

The article in question, about the formal opening of a new housing development where Mrs Lamb lived, had included comments from her on its location as well as details about her husband’s health.

Complaining to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the Gazette had breached Clause 2 (Privacy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, she admitted she had said something similar to the comment published in the article when individuals from the council’s housing department had visited their home to carry out a review, shortly after they had moved in to the property.

However, she said that she had not consented to this being published.

Denying a breach of Code, the Gazette said the comment had come from a press release issued by the council press office on behalf of a housing trust.

It provided a copy of the press release, which had been distributed to the media, and said it had no reason to believe that the individuals referred to in the statement had not consented to its publication.

Regardless, as a gesture of goodwill, the Gazette removed the article in question from its website.

IPSO found that where such information had been provided by the local authority, there was no obligation on the newspaper to check that Mrs Lamb had consented to it being published.

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