The editor of a regional daily says he is ‘disappointed’ a ban on his photographers covering local matches has still not been lifted.

Southampton Football Club refused to accredit any press photographers for home games at the start of the football season, leading to widespread criticism from regional and national newspapers.

The ban was quietly lifted for other media in September but Southern Daily Echo’s photographers remain barred from St Mary’s Stadium.

Editor Ian Murray said the paper had been given no explanation for the continuing ban and was having to buy images from freelance photographers to cover home matches.

He told HTFP: “We are disappointed that when the club lifted their complete photographic ban on all other media, including national newspaper and agency photographers, they failed to do so for us. The club have given no explanation for their actions.

“However, the proof is in the reading and, both in the paper and on line, we have continued to provide superb coverage, both words and pictures.”

The club brought in the ban in the summer in a bid to sell images taken by its own photographers, saying it wanted to protect its commercial revenues.

But newspapers condemned the move and refused to buy the club’s pictures, with many titles finding unusual ways around the ban.

These included publishing images from the 1980s, commissioning cartoons and using Subbuteo figures to recreate a game.

Last year, the Echo was hit with a blanket ban on covering the football club, which lasted for around three months.

Southampton Football Club had not commented on the situation at the time of publication.