Media outlets around the country featured our campaign after we published our four-page Lyme Green special last week.

The Express’ vow to continue the fight to find out the truth behind the Lyme Green fiasco was highlighted on a number of websites and in our sister paper the Manchester Evening News.

Prolific North, an independently-owned website focusing on creative industries in the North-West, ran an article entitled ‘Battles lines drawn between Macclesfield Express and Cheshire East council’ with a summary of our campaign.

And journalism website HoldtheFrontPage also featured our story, saying : ‘A weekly’s fight to uncover the truth behind £1m council blunder will continue in spite of a judge’s ruling, its editor has vowed.

‘The Macclesfield Express has campaigned for the publication of a report into how Cheshire East council began work before it had been granted planning permission, which led to the project being scrapped’.

And in the comments section below the story, a number of people submitted their praise of The Express’s mission to try and get the council to publish the full report.

Deven Meraily said: “Good luck Macclesfield Express. This is exactly why we need local papers.”

Digger said: “Great to see a local paper taking a council to task.”

Observer said: “Stories like this show why we need journalists and newspapers.”

In response to the coverage, Express editor Gareth Tidman said: “We vowed to pursue the truth because that is what the people of Macclesfield deserve.

“The fact that other media outlets have picked up on the story shows just how much of an important issue this is.

“The council say they cannot publish the document and a judge ruled that the reputations of those who gave information to the report’s author need to be protected.”

He added: “But we believe the need for answers as to how such a large amount of public money went down the drain outweighs all other considerations.”