Carole and Pippa Middleton

Carole Middleton (left) and Pippa Middleton (right) complained to the PCC that they had a 'reasonable expectation of privacy'

Credit: Nick Ansell/PA

Three newspapers have removed five-year-old images of the Middleton family from their websites, after the family complained they were taken in a place which afforded them "a reasonable expectation of privacy".

The cases involving the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mirror were resolved by the Press Complaints Commission, which the family complained to through law firm Harbottle & Lewis.

Carole Middleton, Pippa Middleton and James Middleton, the mother, sister and brother of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, complained about the publication of images in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, which showed them on a boat in Ibiza in 2006.

The family's solicitors also alleged that the photos were taken after the boat was followed.

Pippa Middleton made a third complaint about the publication of an image by the Daily Mirror showing her sunbathing on the boat.

In all cases the complainants argued that they had a reasonable expectation of privacy.

According to the resolution announcements by the PCC, all three newspapers said the images had been published on numerous occasions since 2006 without complaint.

They also denied that the boat had been followed, arguing that the complainants did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy "at the location in which the boat was situated".

However the newspapers did agree to remove the photos in question from their websites and agreed not to republish them.

Free daily newsletter

If you like our news and feature articles, you can sign up to receive our free daily (Mon-Fri) email newsletter (mobile friendly).