YORK student journalists claim they are being "gagged" by their own union, after they were banned from identifying students who are facing criminal court proceedings.

University of York student newspapers York Vision and Nouse said the restriction means they cannot name four students facing assault charges in two separate cases - despite their identity already being in the public domain.

But York University Students' Union (YUSU) president James Alexander told the Evening Press that the ban, which is one of a number of revisions to the union's Media Charter, is necessary to protect the welfare of its students.

"If they (the student journalists) don't like it, they can become independent," he said.

The newspapers are both YUSU-funded societies, and its officers take legal responsibility for their content.

At the end of last term, YUSU was forced to cancel an edition of York Vision containing a story about a senior member of university staff after it was threatened with expensive legal action.

The Media Charter is a voluntary code of conduct introduced four years ago, which the award-winning student newspapers must sign up to if they wish to receive funding.

It also regulates University Radio York, York Student TV, Cinematography Society, and magazines Christis and Point Shirley.

The new measures, which were agreed by a committee of union officers and society representatives, also include the introduction of student press cards.

Mr Alexander said it was crucial that all their societies operate within "the confines of the law and our constitution", which states that the union must defend and promote the interests of its students.

"The students in question are innocent until proven guilty," he said. "Opening them up to possible vigilante action is not in the best interests of our membership."

But Nouse editor Toby Hall said that YUSU had acted "disgracefully", and he was considering going to the University Council, which sets down a code of conduct for the union.

"We feel that our freedom of speech has been infringed," he said.

Jonathan Bray and Louise Cohen, joint editors of York Vision, said the students' union had not made its position clear on the issue of naming students if they were actually convicted of a criminal offence.

"Vision does not believe in the publication of material that could harm or lead to the harassment of a student," Jonathan said.

"But we believe that students shouldn't be kept in the dark about issues that could affect their welfare."

Updated: 10:00 Tuesday, October 19, 2004