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| Pryce daughters protest over Telegraph pictures to PCC chairman | Pryce daughters protest over Telegraph pictures to PCC chairman |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The daughters of Vicky Pryce have written to Lord Hunt, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, in protest at the Daily Telegraph's publication of pictures of their mother in prison. | The daughters of Vicky Pryce have written to Lord Hunt, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, in protest at the Daily Telegraph's publication of pictures of their mother in prison. |
| Their letter has been copied to several editors and journalists - including some at the Telegraph - plus a number of MPs, such as John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture and media select committee, and Harriet Harman, the shadow culture secretary. | Their letter has been copied to several editors and journalists - including some at the Telegraph - plus a number of MPs, such as John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture and media select committee, and Harriet Harman, the shadow culture secretary. |
| Here is the full letter, signed by Georgia and Alexandra Pryce: | |
| We are writing to you as the daughters of Vicky Pryce to protest after the Daily Telegraph today published a photograph of our mother in prison. | We are writing to you as the daughters of Vicky Pryce to protest after the Daily Telegraph today published a photograph of our mother in prison. |
| We are dismayed that the Daily Telegraph has wilfully violated an express request by the PCC yesterday not to publish the picture. We are distressed that press photographers have been prowling around her open prison. | We are dismayed that the Daily Telegraph has wilfully violated an express request by the PCC yesterday not to publish the picture. We are distressed that press photographers have been prowling around her open prison. |
| There are no walls or fences. Are all at the prison to be punished by hiding from photographers until the Daily Telegraph tires of stalking its prey? | There are no walls or fences. Are all at the prison to be punished by hiding from photographers until the Daily Telegraph tires of stalking its prey? |
| A prisoner remains a human being with some rights to privacy from the peeping Toms of the Telegraph. So when a photo appeared on the paper's site yesterday we contacted the PCC. We were told the PCC called the Telegraph (and the Daily Mail) and asked them not to publish the picture. | A prisoner remains a human being with some rights to privacy from the peeping Toms of the Telegraph. So when a photo appeared on the paper's site yesterday we contacted the PCC. We were told the PCC called the Telegraph (and the Daily Mail) and asked them not to publish the picture. |
| Today it appears with the faces of other prisoners blanked out but our mother shown in as humiliating a way possible. | Today it appears with the faces of other prisoners blanked out but our mother shown in as humiliating a way possible. |
| Staff and prisoners have expressed concern about the photographers patrolling the prison perimeter, and we do not want their anger turned against our mother. Since the Telegraph has ignored the PCC's request, other papers and photo agencies will also want to secure pictures – continuing to remain outside the prison and causing distress to all involved there. | Staff and prisoners have expressed concern about the photographers patrolling the prison perimeter, and we do not want their anger turned against our mother. Since the Telegraph has ignored the PCC's request, other papers and photo agencies will also want to secure pictures – continuing to remain outside the prison and causing distress to all involved there. |
| We have no views on the current row over press regulation but as citizens we are ashamed that a British newspaper should seek to humiliate a grandmother in the way it has in breach of the PCC request. Little wonder that there is an overwhelming public demand for a press that has some ethical norms. | We have no views on the current row over press regulation but as citizens we are ashamed that a British newspaper should seek to humiliate a grandmother in the way it has in breach of the PCC request. Little wonder that there is an overwhelming public demand for a press that has some ethical norms. |
| We hope you and the PCC can make clear to the press that this harassment of our mother should cease. We respectfully request that she is allowed to serve the rest of her sentence without continued harassment and attempts to further humiliate her. | We hope you and the PCC can make clear to the press that this harassment of our mother should cease. We respectfully request that she is allowed to serve the rest of her sentence without continued harassment and attempts to further humiliate her. |
| Our mother has suffered at the hands of a husband who betrayed her, a judge who described her character in lurid terms as if she should be in prison for who she is, the editor of the Sunday Times who failed to defend his reporter's sources and now the editor of the Daily Telegraph who has flouted a PCC request not to publish an intrusive, humiliating picture of our mother together with other inmates. | Our mother has suffered at the hands of a husband who betrayed her, a judge who described her character in lurid terms as if she should be in prison for who she is, the editor of the Sunday Times who failed to defend his reporter's sources and now the editor of the Daily Telegraph who has flouted a PCC request not to publish an intrusive, humiliating picture of our mother together with other inmates. |
| Please do not allow this continued abuse of a much loved mother and grandmother, who in our view has been treated appallingly by all the men involved throughout this whole process, and do your best to let her see out her time in prison and return to us, her family, without more cruelty from the men who own and edit the Daily Telegraph and other papers. | Please do not allow this continued abuse of a much loved mother and grandmother, who in our view has been treated appallingly by all the men involved throughout this whole process, and do your best to let her see out her time in prison and return to us, her family, without more cruelty from the men who own and edit the Daily Telegraph and other papers. |
| NB: I am uncertain about the contents of the PCC's letter or about the nature of its calls to the editors of the Telegraph and Mail. However, I would be very surprised if the PCC made any request of any kind. | |
| Pre-publication requests (or demands) are not within its remit and not part of its style. My hunch is that the PCC merely informed editors of the daughters' concerns and reminded them of the relevant provisions of the code of practice. | Pre-publication requests (or demands) are not within its remit and not part of its style. My hunch is that the PCC merely informed editors of the daughters' concerns and reminded them of the relevant provisions of the code of practice. |