Hartlepool Mail editor Harry Blackwood has broken his silence over claims that the MP Peter Mandelson tried to get him sacked.

Harry is currently on sick leave from his job at the paper where he has worked for 30 years.

He chose the Mail on Sunday to tell his side of the story.

Harry said: “I was told very clearly that the Prime Minister has said he regarded me as a problem and wanted action taken against me.

“I have been hounded out of my job because Peter Mandelson used his trusted combination of threats, abuse, smears and bullying to force me out for no other reason than he didn’t like some of the things printed about him in my newspaper.

“When I was told last September that Mr Blair was involved in my local difficulties my reaction was one of astonishment.

“Peter Mandelson tried to bully me and intimidate me and my staff.

“On one occasion he marched into the office and poked his finger into the chest of one of my young reporters and verbally abused him.

“He put me under constant pressure and when I refused to buckle, tried to bully my bosses at Johnston Press.”

A disciplinary hearing two weeks ago cleared Harry of all allegations of bias against Peter Mandelson but he is facing a meeting over alleged gross misconduct for “other matters”, according to his interview yesterday.

Harry told political editor Simon Walters: “Mandelson forced the company to get rid of me but they knew that would look bad for the company so they came up with these ridiculous trumped-up charges.”

The MP has denied he wanted Harry removed or that he had complained about him.

Yet he wrote to the newspaper following the controversial election of football team mascot H’Angus the monkey as mayor, saying: “Mr Blackwood’s editorial views are driven by the dislikes and grudges he bears. This is completely unacceptable in a local newspaper.”

He added that Harry had “intensely limited horizons”.

In The Mail on Sunday Harry said that the MP complained personally to Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler and in a three hour meeting with him accused Harry of trying to destroy him.

He added: “Bowdler made it clear he thought Mandelson was threatening to get back at the company by meddling in the Communications Bill [which might affect future growth of the company] and its potential effect on the paper’s owners if he didn’t sack me. It’s an outrageous abuse of his position.”

Johnston Press issued a statement last week to answer the claims of Government pressure on their editor – and promised all matters were being fully investigated, both inside the newsroom and in the wider community.