A veteran newspaper cartoonist has been “completely vindicated” according to his editor after the press watchdog dismissed complaints against his drawings.

Several people complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation about cartoons published in The Irish News on May 27 and May 28.

The drawings were the work of Ian Knox, left, who has more than four decades’ experience in the industry.

However, IPSO found no grounds to investigate any of the complaints.

The first cartoon depicted loyalists upset by US congressman Richard Neal’s use of the word “planter” to refer to people from a unionist background.

Unionist leaders criticised the use of the term but Mr Neal has previously said it was a historic reference to the plantation of Ulster in the late 17th century.

The second cartoon showed elderly Orange Order members at a parade to mark the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Northern Ireland.

IPSO received several complaints under Clause 12 of the Editor’s Code, which deals with discrimination, arguing that the cartoon of the loyalists was offensive towards a minority group, an inaccurate stereotype and had raised tensions.

However IPSO said that Clause 12 of the Editors’ Code was only designed to protect specific individuals mentioned by the press from discrimination based on their race, colour, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or any physical or mental illness or disability.

“It does not apply to groups or categories of people,” it said.

Commenting on the ruling, Irish News editor Noel Doran said: “Ian Knox is a courageous and gifted cartoonist who for over four decades has been satirising extremists on all sides – including those from the same Ulster-Scots background as himself,” he said.

“While the use of humour in a divided society can sometimes bring risks, it was still surprising that Ian’s contributions of May 27 and 28 produced such an intemperate response in some quarters.

“The London-based Independent Press Standards Organisation has now looked into the matter and concluded that no breaches of its Editors’ Code took place.

“It will be noted that IPSO did not feel the need to seek a response from The Irish News to the complaints, and I regard the outcome as a complete vindication of Ian and his work.”

IPSO has yet to publish the ruling on its website.  The full Irish News report on the case can be read here.