A regional daily is set to be barred from attending a hearing which will investigate comments made by a councillor about golliwogs.

A member of the public complained that Brighton and Hove city councillor Dawn Barrett had brought her office into disrepute after she allegedly said that golliwogs were not racist.

City daily The Argus has reported that a standards board hearing investigating her conduct will be held behind closed doors.

Journalists from the title and other media organisations, along with the public, will be banned from the meeting today, which will look into the local resident’s complaint.

The meeting is set to take place at Hove Town Hall and the Argus said that “no specific reason” had been given for the ban.

A council spokeswoman told the paper that the standard’s board decision and the reasons for it would be made public after the hearing.

She said: “The hearing of the complaint by the Standards Panel will take place as a part II hearing. This means it will not be open to the public or the press.

“However, the decision of the panel and the reasons for the decision will be made public after the hearing.

“It was decided to hold the hearing in private after taking into account all the circumstances and in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 1972.”

The hearing was initially due to take place last month but was cancelled after Coun Barnett fell down a flight of stairs in the town hall.