Hampshire girl Sheree Chambers had complained to the press watchdog that quotes, supposedly made by her, contained in the November 2003 article were inaccurate, as were allegations that she was paid for sex.
Chambers also argued that material for the story, including photographs, were obtained through subterfuge and the use of listening devices, and intruded into her privacy, all in breach of the Commission's Code of Conduct.
In its defence the News of the World argued that the quotes came from two taped conversations and from an informant. It also provided evidence showing that Chambers was a prostitute who charged for sex and, since the publication of the story, had started to run an explicit web site.
While it had used subterfuge to support the story, its publication was in the public interest, said the News of the World, because of Chamber's responsible job. The story did in fact result in the Hampshire Ambulance Service Trust sacking Chambers after an investigation.
In its ruling, issued today, the Press Complaints Commission rejected the complaint of inaccuracy, in light of the taped and web site evidence put forward by the paper.
Nor was there a breach of Chamber's right to privacy, said the Commission, as there "was clearly a public interest in revealing that a member of the ambulance service was compromising her sexual health in such a blatant way."
It wrote:
"The Commission did not consider that the complainant's right to privacy outweighed the public's right to know this information. Moreover, while the activities may have taken place in private places such as hotel rooms, by inviting strangers such as the newspaper's undercover reporter to take part in them, there was nothing especially private about them."
In view of this, concluded the Commission, the use of subterfuge had been justified.