An independent news website has accused the Liberal Democrats of “undermining the efforts of genuine journalists” in the most recent example of the party producing a fake local newspaper.

The Bedford Independent has hit out at the Lib Dems over the production of the North Bedfordshire Observer and another title called Bedfordshire in Focus.

The latest example of the practice comes after the News Media Association launched the ‘Don’t Be Duped’ campaign to demand an end to political parties adopting the tactic ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Both Bedfordshire titles state they are published and promoted by ‘H Vann on behalf of N. Beds Liberal Democrats’, but fail to state that Mr Vann is also a Lib Dem councillor.

In an editorial, the Independent said: “Trusted local media is vitally important in being able to keep local people informed about what is happening on their doorstep.

“The way the Liberal Democrats have presented their campaign material undermines the efforts of genuine journalists, destroys trust in journalism and deceives constituents.

“The Bedford Independent and our colleagues at other responsible news sources work hard to check facts and present articles in a fair and balanced way.

“We make a significant effort to provide comment in our articles from all sides and on the rare occasion we include opinion, it is clearly marked and only added if it helps to establish a greater understanding of the issue.

“We also stick to a strict code of conduct and have a clearly defined complaints procedure that is overseen by an independent regulator.

“Presenting the ‘North Bedfordshire Observer’ as a newspaper and ‘Bedfordshire In Focus’ as a magazine is a calculated effort to disguise politically biased material at a time when transparency of information is more important than ever.”

HTFP has approached the Liberal Democrats for a response.