Prosecutors have dropped a charge of contempt of court against a weekly newspaper editor who had been due to appear in court over allegations the paper breached a Section 39 order.

Taunton Magistrates Court yesterday told HTFP that Lisa Templeton, who leads the North Devon Journal, was due to appear before magistrates on Monday in relation to a charge of publishing material in breach of a Section 39 direction.

But the Crown Prosecution Service has now told lawyers acting for the paper that they will not be proceeding with the case against her.

A Section 39 order is a discretionary order made under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 that prevents reporting of details that would identify a child under 18 involved in a court case

Lisa, pictured, was appointed editor of the Local World-owned Journal in September, having previously been the title’s acting editor since May.

She replaced Chloe Hubbard, who was initially seconded to Local World’s transformation team, then left to join Mail Online in the autumn.

Lisa told HTFP she could not comment on the details of the case.