This morning, Hacked Off joined victims of press abuse and supporters to oppose the new “sham” regulator IPSO, and deliver an open letter to its chair Sir Alan Moses.

They describe the new regulator as a fake which fails to comply with most of Leveson’s recommendations. Victims of press abuse are demanding press self-regulation within the terms of the Royal Charter overwhelmingly supported by Parliament and the public.

“We are not surprised that IPSO falls so far short of being an effective and independent regulator. Before it was set up, there was no consultation with newspaper readers, working journalists or the wider public, let alone with those of us who have suffered at the hands of the newspaper industry. Those who control IPSO have - through their newspapers - grossly misrepresented the Leveson Report in misleading reports, and have attacked any person or organisation which seeks to challenge their approach.” – Excerpt from letter

Press abuse victims who joined in the protest - which took place at the PCC HQ in Holborn where IPSO is based - included: Paul Dadge, Ben Noakes, Tom Rowland and Joan Smith - all victims of phone hacking - as well as Mike Hollingsworth, who won a libel case against Associated Newspapers.

The open letter was signed by Kate and Gerry McCann, Gemma the sister of Milly Dowler, Margaret and James Watson whose murdered daughter was demonised by a newspaper, the parents of Abigail Witchells – Sheila and Martin Hollins, and the mother and brother of murder victim Clare Bernal, and many more.

IPSO - which replaces the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) - launches today.

It meets only 12 of the 38 recommendations set out for self-regulators by Lord Justice Leveson. It has the same founding directors, company number, same premises, same staff and the same flawed complaints procedure.

Executive Director Joan Smith said “The press industry bosses are hoping that if they simply swap the PCC sign on their door for an IPSO sign, we will just go away quietly and accept this sub-standard regulator. They are mistaken. The majority of the British public agree that victims of press abuse need an effective and independently audited regulator. We are calling for a system that offers genuine protection for the public, and we will continue to demand these changes until Leveson’s recommendations are delivered.”

"Neither we, nor victims of press abuse, nor the wider public will accept a sham regulator that fails to meet the Leveson criteria of independence and effectiveness and which refuses to be subject to the audit that Lord Justice Leveson said was vital to prevent a repeat of the disastrous failures of the past.

You can read more about The Royal Charter and The Leveson report here.