Two men were barred from a council tenants' meeting today.

One accused Brighton and Hove City Council of trying to gag him.

They were private tenant Richard Scott and Ian Hills, secretary of the Theobald House Residents' Association.

Council officials told them they could not enter the annual tenant participation conference at the Quality Hotel in West Street and there was a skirmish with Mr Hills.

Mr Scott said he was representing a council tenant who could not be present and said he also wanted to be an observer from the Private Sector Housing Forum.

But he was told the meeting, attended by more than 100 council tenants, was packed to overflowing and could not admit him.

Mr Hills said: "I wanted to raise several issues including suspected housing fraud and high levels of rent arrears.

"I tried to get in and was pulled back. They gagged me. They don't want to hear what I have to say."

But council housing communications manager Jane Kerr said the Theobald House Residents' Association had been derecognised by changing its constitution to allow non-resident leaseholders to hold office.

She added: "It is no longer part of the tenants' participation structure and no places were available for it at the conference."

Space at the conference was limited and it was allocated to council tenants.