The Daily Telegraph claims that a special adviser to Culture Secretary Maria Miller warned the paper to consider her role in the Leveson Inquiry before publishing a story about her expenses.

Editor Tony Gallagher said the warning, which occurred during a private conversation with adviser Joanna Hindley, amounted to “not-so-subtle menaces”.

The incident has interpreted as a warning over the chilling effect the threat of Government involvement in regulation of the press is already having. The warning came as editors were meeting Prime Minister David Cameron and urged to implement the Leveson report recommendations on the future regulation of the press last Thursday.