IT is a month since The Northern Echo found itself at the centre of

national controversy after publishing a photograph of Leo Blair taken by a

local school at a public event.

We said at the time we believed our actions were harmless and that Downing Street's reaction was unnecessarily heavy-handed.

Over the weekend, the privacy debate has again blown up, with several

national newspapers defying Downing Street requests not to take and publish photographs of baby Leo at his christening in Sedgefield.

The Northern Echo, despite reservations, chose not to send a photographer, but we again believe that Downing Street has got it wrong.

That does not mean we are unsympathetic to Tony and Cherie Blair's

admirable determination to shield their children from publicity. But it has

to be kept in a common sense context and out of the realms of control

freakery.

Of course the Blairs wanted Leo's christening to be a private family

affair. But it was also inevitable that it would be a very public one too.

In the run up to the big day, family friend and priest Father John Caden

had openly given radio interviews on how the ceremony would unfold inside his church. Hundreds of well-wishers turned out to share the family's joy.

Telling the media to stay away in such circumstances was like waving a red rag at a bull - and it could have been avoided.

With the Press Complaints Commission investigating Downing Street's

complaints that pictures of the baby were used in Sunday national

newspapers without his parents' permission, we have decided not to follow suit.

But we consider it ridiculous that we should feel unable to publish

photographs, taken in a public place and already viewed by newspaper

readers nationwide.

Someone is giving the Blairs very dodgy public relations advice. Why didn't they just follow normal convention for occasions considered to be

sensitive? For years, newspapers and television companies have happily

agreed to pooled arrangements - where one photographer and one television camera crew are allowed controlled access.

Non profit-making agreements could have been signed, a media scrum would have been avoided, and the public would have been able to see harmless, joyful pictures of a famous baby on an historic day.

Would that really have been so awful?