A local weekly paper is hopeful its ban from the press box of Luton Town Football Club will be lifted after the departure of club managing director John Gurney.

Luton on Sunday had been told that it was no longer allowed access to the club’s press box or speak to any of the football club’s employees – a ban believed to have been down to Mr Gurney, whose consortium bought Luton Town in June.

But Mr Gurney has now lost control of the club after it was placed into administrative receivership.

Luton on Sunday editor Aylia Fox, said: “We are hoping and assuming that the ban is no longer in place.

“We are very pleased, as are the people of Luton who have backed every story we’ve written, so this is a win-win situation.”

Aylia said that the paper had previously enjoyed a relatively good relationship with the club until Mr Gurney took over.

She said: “We hope to resume that now. We are pleased with the publicity we have given the shenanigans and I can’t believe that we will continue to be banned.”

Aylia believes that the relationship between Mr Gurney and the paper began to deteriorate after it reported his charge in connection with a £40m drug-smuggling ring for which he was acquitted.