OXFORD City Council is steering itself into choppy waters with its plan to hold the hearing into a serious allegation against its Lord Mayor in secret.

It appears it feels it needs to protect the identity of the complainant in this case, a schoolgirl.

Yet the council has been told the Oxford Mail will give an undertaking not to identify her. We believe other media organisations would agree.

The council must realise this is a significant allegation made against its Mayor when he was engaged on ‘public duty’.

There is a public interest the complaint is dealt with openly and transparently.

Indeed it is in Mr Armitage’s own interests for his future public career, particularly if he is cleared, that there is no suspicion officials are trying to protect him or spare the organisation’s blushes.