Maurice Hayes (Independent)

It was insensitive, intrusive, lacking in compassion and unfair. From all those perspectives, it was wrong. The editor, I presume, will answer for that in his next issue. However, the damage has been done. It is an enormous own goal, which we all recognise.

I have been working for some time with a group in the industry on the question of a statutory press council or a fully independent press council which would be recognised in statute and which would develop codes of ethics and codes of privacy to deal with this sort of issue. We would all welcome a press council. I can only join with other Members in deploring what I regard as a lapse in the standards of good journalism and journalistic ethics.