TOWN councillors could be forbidden from speaking to the Press.

Barnard Castle Town Council's modernisation committee is to discuss implementing the protocol, which allow only the clerk and certain councillors to act as spokesmen rather than individual councillors giving their views. However, the clerk, Geoff Bosworth, said the protocol is not intended to gag members, but rather to present a united front as a council.

He said: "It's not a case of trying to create any sort of gagging of the Press.

"We're sometimes not all agreeing on things and these disagreements can be expressed at meetings.

"But, once a decision is made everybody has to abide by it. There's no real hidden agenda it's more trying to make the council look more together and not a bunch of individuals."

The protocol has been drafted by the chairman of the modernisation committee.