Two Sussex newspaper editors have been convicted in a case which could set a precedent for journalists reporting court cases involving children.

Argus editor Simon Bradshaw, 41, of Brunswick Square, Hove, and West Sussex County Times editorial director David Briffett, 61, of Glendale Close, Horsham, were found guilty of publishing articles that contravened a court order banning identification of a teenage boy excluded from school.

The case hinged on Section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act of 1933 which, when imposed by a court, bans the media from identifying children and young people involved in a case, including their name, address and school, and publishing anything calculated to lead to their identification.

Mid Sussex magistrates were told the articles were published last year and accurately reported a High Court case in which the boy, from the Horsham district, successfully challenged his school's decision to exclude him. The High Court imposed a Section 39 order.

The reports did not include the boy's name, address or school.

Magistrates' chairman Rosemary Scott said dates published when he was excluded and started a new school had allowed people with "some knowledge" to identify him.

She said: "We accept a stranger would not be able to identify him from these reports but the question for us is to what extent persons with some knowledge would be able to identify him from the reports.

"We believe Parliament's intention was to apply this law to this kind of person and not just a complete stranger."

Magistrates accepted work colleagues of the boy's mother had identified him because of their background knowledge and not because of the articles.

However, Mrs Scott said a family friend with children at the same school as the boy before he was excluded had identified him from the details.

Yesterday Mr Briffett and Mr Bradshaw were fined £2,500 each and ordered to pay £1,095 costs between them.

Mrs Scott said: "You are professionals in your field and should have taken more care."

After the case, the defendants' solicitor, Dominic Ward, said the case had far-reaching implications for all journalists.

He said: "The difficult feature in this is for editors to know which facts to leave in and which to take out.

"This will now be virtually impossible because they do not know what background knowledge people already have."

Mr Bradshaw said: "Editors will now have to examine if cases involving a Section 39 order can be reported at all. That is a chilling prospect."

The editors intend to appeal.