The Sun has appointed Fleet Street veteran Philippa Kennedy as ombudsman to consider complaints and correct errors. Kennedy, who was awarded an OBE for services to journalism, will handle complaints from readers and the Press Complaints Commission - or any successor body - and will have responsibility to ensure that significant errors are corrected at the earliest opportunity.

When the Sunday edition of The Sun launched earlier this year the appointment was promised in its first editorial: "For two generations the Sun has forged a bond of trust with you, our readers. As we launch the seven-day Sun, we want to strengthen that connection."

Dominic Mohan, Editor of The Sun, said: "Philippa is a highly respected journalist and broadcaster whose career spans 40 years, including a period as a reporter for the Sun in the 1970s and 1980s. Maintaining the trusted relationship between our 7.3m readers and Britain's best-selling newspaper is key to the title's continuing success."

Philippa Kennedy was the first woman news editor of the Daily Express and editor of the journalists' weekly Press Gazette. At the same time she was a regular media commentator on BBC News 24 and presented a series for BBC 1 called Media Brief. She was one of the original panellists on the popular ITV chat show Loose Women. Most recently, Philippa has worked as a freelance consultant and in 2005 revived the Press Ball for the London Press Club in aid of the Journalists' Charity.

Philippa said: "The industry has been through a bit of a battering and I want to play a part in restoring people's faith in British journalism. Reporters strive for accuracy but things can go wrong. What's important is how they're put right."