A regional journalist was barred from asking questions or taking photographs at a public exhibition after being threatened with ejection at the event.

Northamptonshire Telegraph reporter Alison Bagley has hit out at property developer Stanton Cross LLP, which held the information evening after starting a controversial tree-felling operation as part of a £1bn housing estate.

Members of the public were initially allowed to quiz Stanton Cross representatives at the exhibition, but Alison was told she was not allowed to when she attempted to ask a question.

Another attendee suggested they could ask one on Alison’s behalf, but was also told they could not.

Alison, pictured, told HTFP: “It was quite extraordinary. I had been invited to a press preview of the public exhibition but wasn’t allowed to take photos or video or ask questions of the comms person assigned to me.

“I had been told that anyone taking photos or video would be asked to leave the room not just at the event when the public were there but also in the empty room.

“During the public exhibition session to which I had booked a ticket, I tried to ask a question and was told they wouldn’t answer my question.

“A woman standing next to me said she would ask the question for me, but she was told she couldn’t. I was staggered.”

Sixteen trees have already been cut down as part of the development, while and another 23 could also make way for a new road and aallow work on a high-pressure gas main.

In a first-person piece for the Kettering-based Telegraph, Alison wrote: “This may have been one of the most farcical events that has been witnessed in this journalist’s long career.

“An event which one councillor was initially told they couldn’t enter, a ‘drop-in’ session that asked people to register for tickets and members of the press who were told they could not ask questions, take photos or record video or audio of the public event.”

She added: “Even the BBC Northampton reporter wanting information to prepare a bulletin for the breakfast show was not allowed to take a photo of the maps and plans to allow him to report the facts accurately.

“Earlier in the day Wellingborough town councillors had been invited to a preview of the plans and sworn to secrecy.”

A director for Stanton Cross told the Telegraph: “Stanton Cross is delivering thousands of new homes for Wellingborough, many designated as affordable housing for local people, as well as contributing more than £200 million to infrastructure improvements and bringing benefits such as a new primary school, the creation of parks and green space – with 390 trees already planted and more to come – and the provision of an additional platform and pedestrian footbridge at the railway station.

“The exhibition is an opportunity to share the progress of these wider plans, talk to local people and outline the role that the delivery of Route 2 plays in this.

“The works to enable Route 2 are part of legal, approved plans granted by the Borough Council of Wellingborough in 2008 and in delivering these plans we will listen to local concerns and are committed to working with the authorities to minimise the extent of the loss of existing trees and vegetation. This event is a key part of that.”