Hacked Off welcomes 'long overdue' rejection

Hacked Off, the group campaigning for a free and accountable press, welcomed the "long overdue" rejection of the press' proposal for a Royal Charter.

The group's director, Brian Cathcart, said it was "regrettable" that further changes would be made to the cross-party charter and added that he would be watching closely to ensure there was no "dilution" of the Leveson recommendations.

Asked what would happen if the press decide to go it alone, he said: "If that happens we end up with another Press Complaints Commission, another failed non-regulator, we end up with more abuses and scandals.

"I'm afraid we'll all be back here again if that happens ... and in between there will have been more unfortunate victims of press abuses."