A working group has been set up to discuss proposals that would ban town councillors from speaking to the media.

Five councillors will sit on the Witney Town Council communications strategy working party, including new mayor Jeanette Baker.

It will make recommendations about its draft media policy, which says councillors cannot speak or write to the media “without the council’s prior written consent”.

The group will also aim to make the council more transparent after it was criticised in March for voting to exclude the media and public from its public halls committee.

Roger Curry, a member of the working party, said: “It’s important to clear the air on this.”