Correction: Kevin Fletcher and Jacksons: Rifkind U-turn on port sell-off

In our report of 26 January on the progress of the bidding for the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority, we stated that the solicitor acting for the Board had been promised a directorship in the event of a successful bid by Teesside Holdings.

We now accept that that statement was wrong. Jacksons as solicitors acting for the Board and Kevin Fletcher, their partner who was acting as secretary and spokesman to the Board, have assured us and we accept that they never made such a promise nor would have entertained one since it would have created a conflict of interest. We accept that Mr Fletcher and Jacksons have acted with complete propriety throughout the proposed bid and we apologise to them for any embarrassment caused by our report.