Kate Middleton leaves her house on the way to the Diana Tribute concert at Wembley (7/1/2007). Photo Credit: Simon Hammond / Splash NewsLondon, July 11 (ANI): Prince William's on-off girlfriend Kate Middleton’s persistent “press hounding” has been criticized by MPs.
In a report on press regulation, the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said Middleton had been a victim of "persistent harassment".
The report said that the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) had been "less than impressive" and should have mediated sooner.
The findings, which were part of the committee's report on press self-regulation, concluded that self-regulation should persist, but brought in "recent lapses in standards" which had dented the image of the press.
The MPs said that one such event was the "hounding" of Middleton, which reached new heights in January when a media crowd formed outside Middleton's home on her 25th birthday, amid increasing speculation that the couple were about to get engaged.
Days later the PCC circulated a letter from her solicitors, saying Miss Middleton was being harassed and a formal complaint would be made if paparazzi pictures continued to be used.
"In the case of Ms Middleton, harassment was evident, yet photographs taken by the paparazzi continued to appear in national and regional papers. We see no plausible public interest defence,” the Daily Express quoted the committee report.
"The PCC appears to have waited for a complaint to materialise: it could and should have intervened sooner. The Press Complaints Commission took too long to act to protect Kate Middleton from clear and persistent harassment,” the committee report said. (ANI)