A campaigning mother was left furious when her attempts to run an advert praising primary schools was pulled at the last minute by Hammersmith and Fulham Council.

Tracy Hannigan is chairwoman of the Parents' Alliance for Community Schools (PACS), a local campaign group which is trying to raise the profile of the borough's primaries.

It was formed in opposition to the proposed new Rivendale Free School in Brook Green, which PACS believes threatens existing schools.

The council is a known supporter of free schools, and has been widely criticised for selling the Hammersmith community building, Palingswick House, to allow another free school, West London, to move in.

And Ms Hannigan, whose six-year-old son, Anthony, attends Addison Primary School, believes it is the council's backing of the new institutions that was behind its decision to pull her advert from the final edition of the the now defunct publication, H&F News.

The authority denies any accusations of wrongdoing, insisting it was unable to use the ad on grounds of recently introduced government rules which prevent authorities backing 'anti-political' groups.

The doctrine was part of the new publicity laws which also forced H&F News and other council newspapers to close earlier this month.

A council spokesman insisted: "We were concerned we would have been backing an anti-political organisation," said a spokeswoman.

"It was only before we were about to go to press that our legal department raised this potential issue, and we were unable to run."

However Ms Hannigan, who lives in Addison Gardens, was not impressed and is suspicious of the council's motives. "Maybe they (the council) don't see it as the done thing at the moment to praise existing schools when they are very openly backing the new ones.

"It is great for them because they are getting new schools which don't cost them anything but in the long run it will cost them a lot more when current primaries are destabilised."

Ms Hannigan, form Addison Gardens, says PACS is not totally against the formation of free schools but says Rivendale is not necessary when existing schools in the area, including Addison, are under-subscribed.

"We are not ideologically against them but we don't need one here. I was brought up in America and the school I went to was very homogeneous, all-catholic and all-white.

"Here it is different and my son has opportunities that I didn't have. I feel the schools here do not get enough exposure and are not celebrated in the way they should be.

"That's what I wanted to do with the advert and to see it pulled at the last minute was very disappointing."

Rivendale has faced opposition from a number of parents, as well as the head teacher of Addision School, Pete Dunmall.

Rivendale had been interested in moving to the Milson Road Medical Centre but shelved the plans after the NHS said it wouldn't be able to move out until next year.

Enrollment has been cancelled but founder James Woods remains committed to the project and hopes to set-up next year.