Newspapers 'wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people'

Newspapers “wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people,” Lord Leveson said today as he warned the abuses of the press must be ended once and for all.

Making a statement after publication of his report Lord Leveson said that while the newspapers had done “great” work and campaigns that, with a few honourable exceptions, “the UK press has not performed that vital role in the case of its own power.”

He said that the power and influence of the press carried with it responsibilities to behave in the public interest.

“Unfortunately, as the evidence has shown beyond doubt, on too many occasions, those responsibilities (along with the Editors’ Code, which the press wrote and promoted) have simply been ignored. This has damaged the public interest, caused real hardship and, also on occasion, wreaked havoc in the lives of innocent people.”

He said what was required was “a genuinely independent and effective system of self-regulation of standards, with obligations to the public interest.”