An evening newspaper has scored a victory for press freedom while monitoring what it describes as a “rogue travellers’ camp”.

Senior police officers said the Aberdeen Evening Express coverage of the unauthorised camp was “intrusive” – and informed the procurator fiscal, Scotland’s courts prosecution agency.

Travellers’ liaison officer police inspector Ian Taggart went to the procurator fiscal after four travellers complained about the paper’s photographer taking pictures of the site.

When told that the Evening Express planned to continue checking the site for rubbish and damage he discussed charging the paper with breach of the peace.

Insp Taggart said: “How would you feel if you found a press photographer with a long lens outside your house every day?

“Grampian Police monitors the site on a daily basis and I do not see any reason why the Evening Express has to monitor it.”

But the procurator fiscal told him there was no grounds for taking action and that the newspaper was acting within the law.

Deputy editor Damian Bates criticised the force for the way it had acted and said it was a case of political correctness gone mad.

“We are staggered by the response of the police to this issue of great public concern and very much in the public interest,” he said.

“We are clearly and consciously working within the law and simply monitoring the situation at the site, as our readers would expect us to.

“For the police to seek advice over whether we should be prosecuted over this issue is, quite frankly, astounding and political correctness gone mad.

“Our readers are shocked that the police are shying away from tackling the real issue here – the fact travellers are ignoring a legitimate site just a few miles away and setting up at a local beauty spot instead – and seeking to stop us reporting the news.”

The travellers arrived at the former Hazlehead Caravan Park with six caravans a week ago. They ignored a sign saying the disused site was closed and boulders were moved aside at the entrance.

The travellers had claimed the Evening Express took pictures of children without their permission. But the Evening Express told the authorities it doesn’t take pictures of children without their parents’ permission, in line with the Press Complaints Commission Code of Conduct.

Last autumn a group of travellers spent more than 60 days at a lay-by near Garlogie.

They ignored requests to use the Clinterty campsite and left rubbish behind, including a smashed up caravan.

Local councillor Ron Clark said: “The paper should not be treated in such a way. It is just reporting what the public have a right to know.”

There had been no complaints about the new travellers’ behaviour.