A regional daily incorrectly reporting the breed of a dog that attacked two other animals did not represent a significant inaccuracy, the press watchdog has ruled.

Natalie Thompson, the dog’s owner, complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation after the Hull Daily Mail reported that her “English pitbull” had attacked two other dogs in a communal garden.

Complaining under Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 3 (Harassment) of the Editors’ Code of Practice, Ms Thompson denied that her dog was a “Pitbull” and said it was, in fact, an English Bull Terrier.

She also disputed the events reported by the Mail and said that a reader had posted her address in a comment underneath a Facebook post published by the newspaper.

While the Mail did not accept breach of the Editors’ Code, it accepted that it had misreported the breed of Ms Thompson’s dog and issued a correction on this point.

It added the story was clearly presented as the neighbours’ recollections of the two incidents.

IPSO found the story was clearly presented as the neighbours’ own experiences of the two incidents and did not consider that misreporting the breed represented a significant inaccuracy.

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