Chief Constable Andy Trotter, who leads for ACPO on media issues said:

"This judgment brings clarity to this area of law and will assist police forces and the media to deal with similar matters in the future.

"While police forces have the duty to pursue all lines of enquiry when investigating crimes; any future application for the production of unused material must have specific and clear evidence and grounds for that application to succeed.

"The media plays a vital role in helping the police communicate with the public in the fight against crime, and this judgment assists the police and the media with what had become a contentious issue between them."