Hull Daily Mail editor John Meehan has defended his paper after it encountered a storm of criticism for revealing the porn industry links of a local website designer.

The story about HU17 website creator Paul Smith revealed that he had also designed websites related to the porn industry. A Hull Daily Mail reporter posed as an escort girl who asked if Smith would design a website for her.

More than 300 readers commented on the online version of the Mail story, most strongly critical of the Mail’s coverage. Many point out that the HU17 local news website for the town of Beverley could be seen as a rival to the Hull Daily Mail.