A reader took a regional daily to the press watchdog over its claim that a street had an issue with prostitution.

Nadeem Lal complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation after the Derby Telegraph reported on Derby’s Normanton Road area, saying it had “long been considered one of those red-light districts”.

In the piece, the Telegraph stated that “Prostitution, drug taking and street drinking – especially around Rose Hill Street – have created what one local woman recently described as ‘an absolute nightmare’”.

But, complaining under Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, Mr Lal claimed there was no prostitution problem in Rose Hill Street.

He admitted the street did have a problem in the 1980s but said this was overcome through police and community work.

Mr Lal said there was still an issue with prostitution on Normanton Road, but not Rose Hill Street specifically.

In response, the Telegraph said it had looked into this issue over the past few years and had interviewed police and residents as part of its investigations.

The newspaper provided examples of its coverage such as one reporting on Derbyshire Police comments about prostitution in Normanton and Rose Hill.

Mr Lal did not accept this explanation, claiming there was a difference between Rose Hill Street and the area of Rose Hill more generally in the online story.

During the course of IPSO’s investigation, the Telegraph offered to remove all references to Rose Hill Street and the images showing Rose Hill Street.

It also published a correction to make clear the red light district refers to Normanton and Rose Hill as an area more generically.

This resolved the matter to Mr Lal’s satisfaction, and the full resolution statement can be read here.