Council security staff attempted to bar people from attending a controversial public meeting about £32m cuts to public services.

Members of the public and a Wimbledon Guardian journalist were told by a security officer they were not able to enter the council chambers last Wednesday night because the meeting had already started minutes before.

Last week: 'Where is your moral conscience?' Protestors blowing whistles fail to sway Merton Council voting through massive cuts package

Last month: Move on: Disabled and elderly people asked to move ahead of council cuts meeting

A second security officer then said the Mayor of Merton had instructed them to ban anyone from entering the chambers after 7.15pm over security fears as more than 100 people gathered outside Merton Civic Centre to sing, whistle and chant against the cuts.

But the Mayor of Merton, Councillor Agatha Akyigyina later denied she had any part in trying to stop people coming into the meeting.

She wrote on Twitter: "The Mayor of Merton did not and would not give such any instructions."

After debating with two security officers, the Wimbledon Guardian reporter was eventually allowed to enter the chamber, followed by about seven members of the public.

Council meetings are required to be open to the public under the Public Bodies Act 1960. There are some circumstances when the press and public can be barred from public meetings, typically when confidential business deals are being discussed.

A Merton Council spokeswoman said today: "We always welcome the public at our meetings and we always ask the public to be seated in the public gallery before 7.15pm. This is when the Mayor officially opens the council meeting.

"People arriving late after 7.15pm are always asked to wait until the Mayor has gone in and the prayers have been said.

"As with all meetings where there is greater public interest than usual, we make sure that there is an appropriate level of security but there were no orders to prevent anyone from attending and we’re disappointed that more people did not come in."

The incident comes a month after disabled people protesting cuts to adult social care ahead of a council meeting were asked by security officers to move downstairs so councillors would not have to pass them.

After an intervention by UKIP parliamentary candidate Richard Hilton, the protesters were allowed to remain outside the chambers as councillors entered.

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, leader of Merton Council, later said the incident was a mistake by new staff who were "overly anxious" about the protest.