Newspapers issue corrections and apology after publishing false reports about Catholic interfaith campaigner and PR consultant

Sir Anthony Bailey, Antiguan Special Economic Envoy to the EU greets Pope Francis during Official Visit of Sir Rodney Williams, Her Majesty's Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda to Vatican City November 2015.

Newspapers in the UK and across the Caribbean have published corrections and an apology, after admitting that articles they published about Sir Anthony Bailey KGCN, OBE were entirely false and defamatory.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) in a judgment dated 19 September 2016 formally upheld a complaint made against The Mail on Sunday under Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editor's Code of Practice, which confirmed that the newspaper had given the significantly misleading impression that the complainant, Anthony Bailey, had amended a letter from the then British Prime Minister.

This ruling follows a decision by Anthony Bailey, KGCN, OBE, Chairman of Anthony Bailey Consulting, to refer the tabloid newspaper to IPSO following their publication of an article entitled "Queen's envoy 'Baroness Brazen' is entangled in honours scandal: Title given to Commonwealth chief's crony is 'reviewed' after she is accused of abusing the system" written by Ned Donovan and Ian Gallagher and published on 29 May 2016.

The article alleged that during a Constantinian Order banquet held in honour of HE The President of Hungary and hosted by Anthony Bailey, he doctored a letter from the then Prime Minister Rt Hon David Cameron MP, before it was read out by his official representative and cabinet minister, the Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Ahead of this formal ruling, The Mail on Sunday removed their serious and unfounded allegation from its article and it now recognises that Anthony Bailey neither amended the letter nor interfered with it in any way. The newspaper published a correction saying: "An article on May 29 suggested Anthony Bailey had made an amendment to a letter from the Prime Minister before it was read out at a banquet Mr Bailey was hosting for the President of Hungary. We would like to make clear Mr Bailey made no such amendment and are happy to set the record straight."

The Chairman said following the ruling: "I welcome the decision by the Independent Press Standards Organisation to uphold my complaint against The Mail on Sunday. The allegations made by the newspaper were utterly false and totally unfounded. I am pleased that this unhelpful and damaging allegation has now been dismissed."

The Antigua & Barbuda's Daily Observer newspaper has also published an extensive correction and issued an apology to Sir Anthony Bailey KGCN, OBE, for the false allegations made against him.

Sir Anthony Bailey made a formal legal complaint through Carter-Ruck solicitors against the Daily Observer newspaper in relation to articles published on 7 November 2016 in the print and online editions of the Antiguan & Barbudan newspaper under the following heading: "Governor general revokes two knighthoods" .

The article wrongly claimed that there were "numerous allegations" published in the British media that members of a delegation led by Sir Anthony Bailey from the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George received knighthoods "in exchange for money". In fact, this claim was false and without any foundation as those who granted the awards to Sir Anthony Bailey and other members of the delegation received no payment or other remuneration for doing so. There were no such allegations in the British press either as the Daily Observer also reported.

The newspaper has published the following correction and apology in the newspaper's print edition on 16 November 2016:

"In a story titled "Governor general revokes two knighthoods" which appeared on page 6 of the November 7, 2016 publication of the Daily Observer, it was incorrectly reported that Sir Anthony Bailey, who heads the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George had been the subject of allegations in the British media surrounding the claim that he and his delegation received the awards in exchange for money, however, those allegations were actually made by members of the public in Antigua & Barbuda and have since been denied by Sir Anthony and the government of Antigua & Barbuda. The Daily Observer sincerely apologises to (Governor General) Sir Rodney, the members of the delegation and our readers for the inaccuracies in our reporting and for any embarrassment and inconvenience that may have been caused."

In a statement issued in St John's, Sir Anthony Bailey said: "The allegations that have been made by The Daily Observer in Antigua and Barbuda are totally unfounded, and are now the subject of a legal complaint for defamation. I will continue to take such steps as may be appropriate to seek full vindication in respect of these false and highly defamatory claims."

* The on-line news service News784, based in St Vincent and the Grenadines has now also issued a retraction and and 'unreserved' apology for a similar article they published on 7 November 2016.