Time could be up for Greenwich Council's newspaper after being ordered by the government to stop publishing the weekly PRAVDA.

Greenwich Council are breaking the law by publishing the Greenwich Time newsletter weekly and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has ordered the council to stop this by March 31.

The council appealed against earlier warning to cease producing Greenwich Time weekly but this was rejected.

In a written statement to Parliament on March 3, local government minister Kris Hopkins stated that the council must not publish or commission more than four issues of Greenwich Time a year.

He also said: "With this direction not only must the council cease to publish its weekly newspaper, Greenwich Time, but it is also barred from outsourcing or contracting the publication of any weekly newsletter, newssheet or similar communication by a third party to whom the council may make payment."

A Greenwich Council spokesman said a report on the matter will be discussed at the next Full Council meeting.

They also said: "We have received direction from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of our resident's newspaper, Greenwich Time.

"We note that Greenwich Council is the only authority to be directed on this issue; this is despite a strong case presented by the council in response to previous letters from the Secretary of State."

Greenwich Conservatives leader Councillor Spencer Drury has accused Greenwich Time of bias and only publishing stories to promote Labour agendas in Greenwich.

He said: "I welcome the Government's latest attempt to close down the Labour propaganda sheet.

"I'm delighted at the Government's tenacity in attempting to close down the disgraceful, tax payer funded propaganda rag which is Greenwich Time."

Last April, Mr Pickles described Greenwich Time as a 'town hall Pravda', a reference to Russian political newspapers associated with the Communist Party of the former Soviet Union.