The Cambridge Evening News has hit back at attempts to ban it from reporting controversial issues at council meetings by running a double page spread and front page picture highlighting the problems it has faced.

Under the headline 'Top Secret', the paper attacked South Cambs District Council for its decision to hold a series of meetings behind closed doors.

Editor Murray Morse took the decision after the authority announced it was banning the public and the media from a special cabinet meeting to discuss the eviction of travellers from an illegal camp site.

The paper has campaigned since November for the Government to introduce new laws to tackle illegal gypsy encampments, and to provide local authorities with the clout and finace to set up new legal sites for travellers to live.

South Cambs' decision to go into secret session was made despite more than £200,000 of taxpayers' money having been spent on lawyers tackling illegal traveller camps in the area in the past year.

The News was been told that if it sent a journalist to report what happened at the meeting they would be told to leave the council chamber.

The paper claims it is only the latest measures used by officials to prevent information being made public.

Recent developments include:

Officers refusing to reveal details of how councillors voted when a controversial 100 per cent increase in the Council Tax precept was passed, insisting the request for this information should have been made before the debate.

Editor Murray said: "With the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act this year politicians were supposed to become more accountable, not less.

"We were determined to show our readers the problems that we faced and did it in an intelligent, bright and hard-hitting manner.

"We spoke to people involved in the traveller problem and organisations such as the Campaign for Freedom of Information, as well as a number of councillors who also opposed the measures.

"Obviously there will be a rare occasion when a discussion will have to be held in private but if there is any doubt whatsoever the meeting should be open to the public and press.

"We will continue to highlight any attempts by local authorities to prevent us from reporting the news properly."