Corrections and Complaints Policy

London Accident News is committed to accurate, fair and responsible journalism. We welcome legitimate complaints, correction requests and privacy concerns relating to our published content or newsgathering conduct.

This policy explains how to raise a complaint, what information to provide, how we will assess the matter and the possible outcomes.

London Accident News is operated by:

Website: londonaccidentnews.co.uk
Contact page: Contact London Accident News
Email: info@londonaccidentnews.co.uk

What This Policy Covers

You may use this complaints process to raise concerns about:

• A factual inaccuracy;
• A misleading headline, caption, summary or social media post;
• Materially incomplete or distorted reporting;
• An unfair or inaccurate allegation;
• A failure to distinguish allegation from fact;
• A privacy intrusion;
• The identification of a child, victim, witness or vulnerable person;
• The use of a photograph, video, audio recording or personal information;
• A failure to update a report following a significant development;
• A copyright or attribution concern;
• Harassment or inappropriate newsgathering conduct;
• Graphic or distressing material;
• A possible breach of a court order or reporting restriction;
• A conflict between editorial and commercial content; or
• Another concern about our editorial standards.

Our broader reporting principles are set out in our Editorial Standards Policy.

Who Can Make a Complaint?

A complaint may be made by:

• A person directly affected by the content;
• An authorised representative acting on behalf of an affected person;
• A parent or guardian acting for a child;
• A representative of an organisation referred to in a report;
• A copyright owner or authorised rights representative;
• A witness or source whose information has been used;
• A reader who has identified a clear factual error; or
• Another person with a legitimate and direct interest in the complaint.

Where a complaint is made on behalf of another person, we may ask for evidence that the complainant has authority to act.

How to Make a Complaint

You can submit a complaint through our contact page or by emailing info@londonaccidentnews.co.uk.

Please include “Editorial Complaint” or “Correction Request” in the subject line where possible.

Your complaint should include:

• Your full name;
• Your email address or another reliable contact method;
• Your relationship to the matter being reported;
• The URL of the article or page;
• The relevant headline;
• The publication date, where known;
• The exact words, image, video, caption or conduct you are complaining about;
• A clear explanation of why you believe it is inaccurate, misleading, intrusive or otherwise inappropriate;
• The correction, clarification or other outcome you are requesting; and
• Any documents, screenshots, official records or other evidence supporting your complaint.

Providing clear and specific information helps us investigate the complaint efficiently.

Urgent Complaints

Please identify the matter as urgent where the complaint concerns:

• An immediate risk to someone’s safety;
• The unlawful identification of a protected person;
• A possible breach of a court order or reporting restriction;
• A serious and ongoing privacy intrusion;
• The incorrect identification of a person as injured, deceased, arrested or accused;
• A false public-safety warning;
• A serious copyright concern involving active distribution; or
• Another matter where delay could cause significant harm.

Urgent concerns should be sent to info@londonaccidentnews.co.uk with “URGENT” at the beginning of the subject line.

Marking a complaint as urgent does not guarantee immediate removal, but it helps us identify matters requiring prompt assessment.

Time Limits for Complaints

Complaints should normally be submitted as soon as reasonably possible after publication or after the complainant becomes aware of the material.

We encourage complaints to be made within:

• 12 months of the original publication date; or
• 12 months of the most recent substantial update, where the complaint relates directly to that update.

We may consider an older complaint where:

• The material remains publicly available;
• The complainant could not reasonably have raised the matter earlier;
• The report creates an ongoing and significant risk of harm;
• A serious legal or privacy issue is involved;
• Important new evidence has become available; or
• There is another compelling reason to review it.

What Happens After a Complaint Is Submitted?

We will normally follow the process below.

Initial Review

We will review the complaint to determine:

• Which article, image or conduct it concerns;
• Whether enough information has been provided;
• Whether the complainant is directly affected or has a legitimate interest;
• Whether urgent action may be necessary;
• Whether the complaint raises an editorial, legal, privacy or copyright issue; and
• Whether the matter falls within this policy.

We may ask for more information or evidence before beginning a full investigation.

Acknowledgement

We aim to acknowledge a sufficiently detailed complaint within five working days.

An acknowledgement confirms receipt only. It does not mean that the complaint has been upheld or that the requested action will be taken.

Investigation

Depending on the complaint, we may:

• Review the published article and its update history;
• Check interview notes, recordings, emails and source material;
• Review photographs, videos, metadata or other evidence;
• Contact the journalist, editor, photographer or contributor involved;
• Check official statements or public records;
• Seek a response from another affected person or organisation;
• Assess any legal restrictions;
• Consider whether personal information has been processed appropriately;
• Take legal advice where necessary; and
• Consider the public interest in publication.

Response

We aim to provide a substantive response within 20 working days of receiving a complete complaint.

More time may be required where:

• The complaint is complex;
• Several articles or incidents are involved;
• Legal advice is required;
• Relevant court or investigative proceedings are active;
• We need information from a third party;
• The complaint concerns confidential source material; or
• There is another reasonable cause for delay.

Where practicable, we will inform the complainant if additional time is needed.

Possible Outcomes

After reviewing a complaint, we may decide to:

• Correct a factual error;
• Amend a headline, caption, summary or social media post;
• Add missing context;
• Add or amend source attribution;
• Include a response from an affected person or organisation;
• Add an update note;
• Add a correction or clarification notice;
• Replace, crop, blur or remove a photograph or video;
• Anonymise an individual;
• Remove personal information;
• Restrict search-engine indexing;
• Temporarily suspend access to the material;
• Remove the material;
• Publish a separate correction or follow-up report;
• Refer the matter for legal review;
• Take no action; or
• Take another proportionate step.

The action taken will depend on the seriousness of the issue, the public interest, the effect of the original publication and the evidence available.

Corrections

Where we establish that a report contains a significant factual inaccuracy, we will seek to correct it promptly and with appropriate prominence.

A correction may involve:

• Changing inaccurate wording;
• Correcting a name, age, location, date or time;
• Correcting the status of an arrest, charge or court outcome;
• Replacing an inaccurate headline;
• Correcting a photograph or caption;
• Amending a map or location description;
• Adding a correction note to the article;
• Correcting associated social media content; or
• Publishing a separate correction where justified.

The prominence of a correction should reflect the seriousness and prominence of the original error.

Correction Notes

A correction note may be added where a change materially affects the meaning, accuracy or fairness of a published report.

A correction note should normally explain:

• What was originally published;
• What was incorrect or misleading;
• What has been changed; and
• When the correction was made.

We may not add a correction note for minor spelling, punctuation, formatting or stylistic changes that do not alter the substance of the report.

Clarifications

A clarification may be appropriate where the original report was not strictly inaccurate but could reasonably have created a materially misleading impression.

A clarification may:

• Explain missing context;
• Distinguish separate incidents or individuals;
• Clarify the source of information;
• Explain the legal status of an allegation;
• Include a relevant response; or
• Explain a subsequent official finding.

Live Reports and Developing Stories

Live incident coverage may be updated frequently as new information becomes available.

Where an early detail later proves wrong, we will consider:

• The seriousness of the error;
• How long the inaccurate information was published;
• How widely it was distributed;
• Whether an identifiable person was affected;
• Whether the error appeared in a headline or notification;
• Whether a correction note is needed; and
• Whether associated social media posts require amendment or deletion.

Routine updates to a developing report do not necessarily amount to corrections.

Requests to Remove Content

Accurate published journalism forms part of the public record and will not normally be removed merely because it is embarrassing, inconvenient, old or damaging to a person’s reputation.

However, we may consider removal, anonymisation or restriction where:

• A person has been wrongly identified;
• The content contains a serious inaccuracy;
• A court order or legal restriction requires action;
• Continued publication creates a disproportionate risk to a child or vulnerable person;
• The material unlawfully infringes privacy, confidentiality or copyright;
• The report has become seriously misleading because of a later development;
• The public interest in continued identification has substantially reduced;
• The material creates a credible safety risk;
• The source material was fabricated or obtained unlawfully; or
• Another compelling legal or editorial reason applies.

We may decide that a correction, update, anonymisation or search restriction is more proportionate than complete removal.

Search-Engine De-Indexing

In appropriate cases, we may consider applying a technical instruction intended to prevent a page from appearing in general search-engine results while retaining it in the London Accident News archive.

Factors we may consider include:

• The age of the report;
• The seriousness of the incident;
• Whether the information remains accurate;
• Whether the person was convicted, acquitted or never charged;
• Whether the report concerns a child or vulnerable adult;
• The continuing public interest;
• The effect of search prominence on the person concerned; and
• Whether other proportionate options are available.

De-indexing from our website does not guarantee that search engines, archives or third parties will remove existing copies.

Privacy Complaints

A privacy complaint should explain:

• Which information is private or sensitive;
• How the information was obtained, where known;
• Why publication is considered unjustified;
• Whether the person consented;
• Whether a child or vulnerable person is involved;
• What harm or risk has resulted;
• What action is being requested; and
• Any relevant public-interest considerations.

We will balance the individual’s privacy rights against freedom of expression, open justice and the public interest.

The Information Commissioner’s Office provides official guidance on the right to have inaccurate personal information corrected.

Complaints About Children or Vulnerable People

Complaints involving children or vulnerable people will receive particular attention.

We may consider:

• The person’s age and capacity;
• Whether consent was meaningful and informed;
• Whether identification was necessary;
• Whether legal anonymity applies;
• The likely long-term impact of continued publication;
• Whether the report creates a safety risk;
• Whether the information can be retained in anonymised form; and
• The strength of the public interest.

Complaints About Criminal Allegations

If a complaint relates to an arrest, allegation, investigation or court case, please provide any reliable evidence showing the current legal status of the matter.

This may include:

• A police statement;
• A charging decision;
• A court order;
• A notice that proceedings were discontinued;
• An acquittal;
• A conviction;
• An appeal outcome; or
• Another official record.

We will seek to distinguish accurately between an allegation, arrest, charge, prosecution, conviction and acquittal.

Complaints About Photographs and Video

A complaint concerning visual material should identify:

• The image or recording;
• The page or post where it appears;
• The person or property depicted;
• Who owns the material;
• Whether permission was given;
• Whether the material is inaccurate, intrusive or distressing;
• Whether a child or vulnerable person is identifiable;
• Whether cropping, blurring or removal is requested; and
• Any supporting evidence.

We may ask for proof of identity, ownership or authority before making changes.

Copyright Complaints

A copyright complaint should include:

• The complainant’s name and contact information;
• Identification of the original protected work;
• Evidence of ownership or authority to act;
• The exact URL where the material appears;
• An explanation of why the use is unauthorised;
• Information about any relevant licence;
• The action requested; and
• A statement confirming that the complaint is made honestly.

We may temporarily restrict disputed material while a credible rights complaint is investigated.

General official guidance on copyright ownership and permitted use is available from the UK Intellectual Property Office.

Complaints About Journalistic Conduct

You may complain about the conduct of a journalist, photographer or contributor acting on behalf of London Accident News.

Examples may include:

• Failure to identify themselves honestly;
• Persistent contact after a clear request to stop;
• Entering private property without permission;
• Obstructing emergency services;
• Threatening or intimidating behaviour;
• Misrepresenting the purpose of an approach;
• Failing to respect grief, shock or vulnerability;
• Obtaining information improperly; or
• Another serious breach of professional standards.

Please provide the date, location, name or description of the person involved and any relevant supporting evidence.

Malicious, Abusive or Repetitive Complaints

We will consider complaints fairly, but we are not required to continue engaging with correspondence that is:

• Threatening or abusive;
• Discriminatory;
• Knowingly false;
• Intended to intimidate a journalist or source;
• Clearly unrelated to our published content or conduct;
• Substantially identical to a complaint already answered;
• Excessively repetitive;
• Part of an automated spam campaign; or
• Otherwise an abuse of the complaints process.

We may limit or end correspondence where we have given a substantive response and no material new evidence has been provided.

Confidentiality and Personal Information

We will use personal information submitted through the complaints process to:

• Investigate the complaint;
• Verify the complainant’s identity or authority;
• Contact relevant journalists, sources or organisations;
• Obtain legal or professional advice;
• Respond to the complainant;
• Maintain an appropriate complaint record; and
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Information may be shared internally and with relevant advisers or third parties where necessary to assess the complaint.

We will not promise complete confidentiality where disclosure is necessary to investigate the matter fairly, comply with the law or protect legal rights.

Escalating a Complaint

If you believe our response has not properly addressed your complaint, you may request an internal review.

A review request should:

• Be submitted within 20 working days of our substantive response;
• Identify the part of the decision being challenged;
• Explain why the response is considered inadequate; and
• Include any important new evidence.

Where practicable, the review will be considered by someone who was not primarily responsible for the original decision.

We aim to respond to an internal review within 20 working days, although complex matters may require longer.

External Complaints

Depending on the nature of the complaint, you may also have the right to contact an external authority or pursue a legal remedy.

Data Protection Complaints

If your complaint concerns the use of personal information, you may raise the matter with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: Make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office

Legal Proceedings and Reporting Restrictions

If you believe publication breaches a court order or reporting restriction, you should provide us with a copy of the relevant order or precise court details wherever possible.

Official information about contempt of court and active proceedings is available through the UK Government’s contempt of court guidance.

Media Regulation

London Accident News will not state or imply that it is regulated by a press regulator unless Billion Media Limited has formally joined that regulator.

If the publication becomes subject to an external regulator, this page will be updated with the relevant complaint and escalation details.

No Guarantee of the Requested Outcome

Submitting a complaint does not guarantee that:

• The complaint will be upheld;
• The article will be removed;
• A person will be anonymised;
• A search engine will remove the page;
• A correction will use the complainant’s preferred wording;
• Confidential source material will be disclosed; or
• London Accident News will agree with the complainant’s interpretation.

We will assess complaints against the available evidence, applicable law, editorial standards, freedom of expression and the public interest.

Record Keeping

We may retain complaint records, supporting evidence and correspondence for editorial, legal, regulatory and accountability purposes.

Records may be kept for up to six years after a complaint is closed, or longer where necessary because of litigation, an ongoing investigation or another legal reason.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Corrections and Complaints Policy to reflect:

• Changes in media law;
• Changes in data protection or copyright law;
• Changes in regulatory guidance;
• Changes to our editorial operations;
• Lessons from previous complaints; or
• Changes to our contact or escalation procedures.

The latest version will be published on this page with the revision date shown at the top.

Contact London Accident News

To submit a correction request or editorial complaint, use our contact page.

You may also email info@londonaccidentnews.co.uk or write to: