More than a week after Socialist Worker joked about the death of a schoolboy there is no comment, no apology and no retraction

Judith Orr, the editor of the Socialist Worker, has been keeping a low-profile since her newspaper was widely condemned for poking fun at an Eton schoolboy who was mauled to death by a polar bear.

Last Thursday the weekly newspaper reported the inquest of Horatio Chapple in a diary piece under the headline: “Eton by a bear? The inquest begins”. The page-two article finished with the line: “Now we have another reason to save the polar bears.”

Despite calls, published in a number of national newspapers, for the Socialist Worker to make an apology, the title has said nothing about the piece, which remains on its website.

On the day news of the article broke, a woman who answered the Socialist Worker editorial phone told Press Gazette they were “busy” covering strikes across the UK and asked us to call back later. Telephone inquiries made on Friday also went unanswered.

Since Monday, Press Gazette has called the Socialist Worker office on several occasions, passed on contact details and been told Orr would call back. Sometimes she’s been busy, other times she’s been out of the office.

Today, Press Gazette was told: “We’re a bit busy at the moment because we’ve got press coming up but, um, maybe, er, next week.”