Conservative councillor Keith Prince has criticised the lack of press freedom at City Hall during the run-up to the local elections.

As official campaigning for local elections began, City Hall, headquarters of the Greater London Authority, is under strict press restrictions.

The pre-election period, known as Purdah, means that civil servants, are not allowed to publish material which might bias voting in the local election process.

These civil servants include both members of the London assembly and media personnel working for the Mayor of London and London assembly members.

From the end of March until the local elections have finished all meetings at City Hall are closed to the public and press.

Yet the London assembly member for Havering and Redbridge, Mr Prince argues that in matters concerning, the Mayor of London and the London assembly there should be as much press freedom as possible.

He said: “There should be maximum press freedom, the media should not be restricted.”

The local elections currently taking place are happening in London’s boroughs and are not London assembly or London Mayor elections which would take place at City Hall.

Mr Prince said: “It could be understood if we’re in the middle of an election at City Hall but we’re not, it’s local borough elections so why should City Hall be affected by Purdah.”

On Tuesday April 10, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan held a summit at City Hall which looked at how to tackle a surge in serious crime in the capital after the murder rate rose above 50 this year.

The mayor met politicians from all parties including the home secretary Amber Rudd as well as Metropolitan police commissioner Cressida Dick, but it was closed to the press.

Mr Prince argued that the meeting should have been open to the public.

He said: “There are people dying on the streets every day and people have a right to know what he said and what others are doing about it.”

The Conservative councillor said that the Mayor, who tweeted about the event and spoke to BBC Radio London about it was using it as a publicity stunt.

Other attendees at the summit also tweeted about the event.

Mr Prince said: “There’s an inequity.

“Everybody was tweeting about it, that doesn’t make any sense.

“I think the whole Purdah thing is quite ridiculous because there’s no consistency.”

LBC political editor, Theo Usherwood also expressed his anger on Twitter at press restrictions at City Hall during the summit.

He said: “Public/press barred from the summit because of local elections and yet MPs provide selected information on what was said via social media. Of course, they relied on the office of Mayor of London to hold the meeting in the first place.”