'Freedom of speech' row in village

3 July 2013 Last updated at 12:14 ET

A row has broken out over a village newsletter after a council said it wanted to check letters and emails from the public before they were published.

Jonathan Butler, editor of the Shepreth newsletter, published an open letter in the July edition saying "freedom of speech" was at stake following Shepreth Parish Council's request.

He said the letters pages were there for "people to express their views".

The parish council said his comments were "out of context and misleading".

Its clerk, Charles Cook, had written to Mr Butler in May to say he had received an email from a local resident concerning the recreation ground.

Shepreth Parish Council does not and will not suppress freedom of speech or the rights of anyone to voice their opinion

He said it contained "inaccurate" information and asked Mr Butler not to print it in the newsletter, if he received the letter.

In the email seen by the BBC, Mr Cook then wrote: "May I also ask that if you receive any letters or emails etc from residents concerning the parish council that you confirm the accuracy and content with me before printing it."

The All Saints' Shepreth Church and Village Newsletter is published every month and is delivered for free to all of the households in the Cambridgeshire village.

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'Freedom of speech' row in village