In an interview for BBC News 24, the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) chairman, Sir Christopher Meyer, hailed the move to extend the watchdog’s remit as a major step forward. The PCC already regulates online editions of newspapers.

During the interview, which was for the UK news channel’s Straight Talk with Andrew Neil show, Sir Meyer explained: The basic situation has been for some time that we regulate what’s in print and we regulate the photo and the word on electronic versions of newspapers. And we have now persuaded the newspaper and magazine industry of the UK to agree also the principle of our regulating moving pictures and sound on newspaper’s websites.

He went on to confirm that the PCC intends to make an official announcement on the matter with further details in the next few weeks.