HAMPSHIRE council chiefs have been forced to put on hold controversial plans to pull public notices from local newspapers.

Council bosses hoped to save money by advertising everything from planning applications to road closures online instead. But the county council’s legal experts have now advised that local authorities are obliged by law to publish statutory notices in local newspapers.

Newspaper industry experts had slammed the cost-cutting proposals, saying people would miss out if they were unable to get the information in their local newspaper.

A report considered by the council’s efficiency panel on Monday said that advertising public notices online would not be possible without a change in the law.

It added that councils are not limited to only using paid-for newspapers for advertising public notices and can use free newspapers, although not just council-run publications.

The county council had commissioned a market research survey of 1,000 members of the public and local businesses.