The Evening Express in Aberdeen has branded its local council chief a "hypocrite" for his stance on travellers.

The strong words came after he forced the newspaper to remove its own caravan from the council's car park after news staff copied a travellers' encampment.

The Express caravan was moved on - yet the travellers had been allowed to stay.

The paper set up camp outside Aberdeenshire Council's headquarters following its coverage of several travelling groups who had occupied lay-bys and private land for up to six weeks at a time, leaving behind rubbish and human waste.

The Express has been critical of the council for not forcing them to use an official travellers' camp site in the region.

But after two days occupying council chief executive Alan Campbell's parking space, Mr Campbell wrote to Evening Express editor Donald Martin asking the paper to move. He accused the paper of inciting racial intolerance.

Deputy editor Damian Bates said: "We have been monitoring the authorities, specifically the council, to get them to get the travellers to use the official site which is not being used to capacity.

"One group of travellers was in a lay-by for 66 days, much to the concern of local residents, so we thought we'd see how the council liked it.

"If they take action against us in their back yard, why aren't they taking action against the travellers?

"Our target in this campaign has never been the travellers, but the authorities – we think that everyone should be treated equally.

"We've had a lot of very positive comments and feedback; people have saying this is the best thing we've done in ages."

Mr Campbell also criticised the Evening Express in comments he made to the BBC.

He said: "My concerns fundamentally are that they are trying to incite the public against travelling people. Clearly they are classified as a racial minority. We all have a responsibility towards them. They are trying to attract a kind of vigilante type action."

The Evening Express hit back, calling Mr Campbell a "hypocrite" because in November last year he had supported the paper's coverage of travellers who for 66 days had camped in a lay-by used as a meeting point by the cycling club of which he is chairman.

At the time, Mr Campbell said: "The sense of frustration shown by local residents, businesses and a wider audience, to situations such as Garlogie – as reflected in the pages of the Evening Express on many occasions in recent years – is something that I share. What we face in this case is completely unacceptable and it is no surprise that it has generated strong opinions.

"There is a clear sense that we are now being taken advantage of under that protective umbrella and that cannot be acceptable."

A comment article in the paper read: "Our campaign has highlighted everyone's right to enjoy their own way of life – including Travellers – provided they respect the law.

"The Evening Express does not believe anyone should be allowed to create an obstruction, park overnight where it is barred or leave refuse at roadsides.

"It has called for anti-social behaviour to be tackled consistently across the community. The newspaper has supported the official Travellers' site at Clinterty near Blackburn."