A TOWN councillor has demanded the Cotswold Journal reporter be banned from committee meetings after claiming a story was 'all lies'.

Cllr Jeff Martin made the public attack this week during a meeting of Moreton Town Council. He was claiming a story about Redesdale Hall being in financial difficulties and needing to ask for money from the town council to pay bills was 'sensationalising' and it being in litigation was not true.

He demanded a published retraction of the story and an apology from the Journal. He also demanded the reporter was barred from meetings and asked his requests be minuted. However, the call was not acknowledged among colleagues.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the council on January 11, the Cotswold Journal wrote that the Redesdale Hall committee, two of which are town councillors, had asked the council for £1,000 to cover bills incurred during recent fire risk assessment work, needed for insurance purposes.

Cllr Michael Lucas had said: "They (Redesdale Hall) have asked us (the town council) to assist them in paying these bills. Redesdale Hall charity is in litigation with one of these 'customers' for a substantial amount of money."

He said the charity had asked for £1,000. He added that legal advice had been sought and he proposed offering the hall the money as a zero per cent interest loan, repayable at 30 days' notice, if necessary. The suggestion was carried.

The Journal stood by their account of the meeting and a retraction and apology was refused.