Pressure for tougher laws on media and privacy eases

SUPPORT FOR tougher laws against invasion of privacy by the press was crumbling yesterday, writes Colin Brown.

In spite of further revealing photographs, including one in the Sun of a bare-breasted Duchess headlined 'Fergie's final boob', Buckingham Palace said there would be no further comment.

Criticism of the press from political quarters was also becoming muted. Oxford Tories who have tabled a conference motion deploring the coverage of the Royal Family by the press, were revising their views. John Jones, chairman of the Oxford and Abingdon constituency, said that although he was concerned about 'faceless' news editors making their own judgements on whether to publish intimate photographs, he suspected that the photographs of the Duchess of York would sway opinion the other way.

'I think this may well have cured it,' he said. 'I was astounded to see some of the things today. Fergie has never been a personal favourite of mine.' David Mellor, Secretary of State for National Heritage, is due to respond to the Oxford motion in a debate at the Tory party conference in October.