A minister's refusal to accept a petition launched by the Cambrian News has sparked a political row in the Welsh Assembly.

The mid-Wales-based weekly newspaper launched a petition to demand that proposals to downgrade the local Bronglais Hospital be rejected.

More than 18,000 people signed, making it the county of Ceredigion's largest ever petition.

But Labour health minister Brian Gibbons, who will have the final say over the controversial health consultation under way in Wales, refused to personally accept the petition from Cambrian News editor Beverly Davies, saying it could compromise his position.

The minister had originally agreed to accept a copy of the petition from the editor and had given a list of dates when he was available – but then the offer was unexpectedly withdrawn.

And the refusal came despite him accepting an almost identical petition backing Haverfordwest's Withybush Hospital from AM and deputy minister Tamsin Dunwoody.

During the assembly's first session following the summer recess, on Tuesday, Wales First Minister Rhodri Morgan was challenged by Ceredigion AM Elin Jones to explain why Dr Gibbons had refused to accept a copy of the petition from the newspaper.

She accused the Labour Government, and in particular the Minister for Health and Social Services, of political bias in the future of the health service.

In response the First Minister said the minister had to be "one step removed".

He said: "We let the local community make its plans, and then work on them to see whether agreement can be reached."

Cambrian News editor Beverly labelled the claims of compromise "a nonsense".

She said: "Dr Gibbons appears to be showing outright favouritism to a fellow Labour AM in the escalating crisis over the rural health service.

"Government ministers are under an obligation to explain their actions, and in this case Dr Gibbons is regrettably refusing to explain why, having agreed to accept the Bronglais petition, he changed his mind, and why he nevertheless saw fit to receive from a senior Labour colleague a petition drawn up in response to very similar health proposals."

Beverly said the campaign to safeguard the future of the district general hospital was showing no signs of slowing down – and that the Cambrian News would continue to back the fight to keep the hospital safe.

She said: "As the local paper, we will continue to take up the cudgels on behalf of our readers. They expect nothing less.

"This is a rural area and any threat to the hospital would have a devastating effect on local health services – with the nearest hospital more than an hour away."