A COUNCIL engaged in a war of words with Alex Salmond has voted to push ahead with controversial plans to revise protocols for ministerial visits.

The proposals sparked outrage earlier this week when Aberdeen City Council finance boss Willie Young said the motion would seek to ban the First Minister and the rest of his cabinet from local authority property. His comments were later described by depute council leader Marie Boulton to be a "slip of the tongue".

Yesterday, a motion by council leader Barney Crockett to revise protocol for the organisation of ministerial visits to council properties was passed - but with assurances that ministers would not be banned from entering council property. The motion was also to seek talks with the Scottish Government aimed at creating a positive working partnership.

Mr Crockett said he wanted to improve the council's troubled relationship with the government but he did not want public office buildings to be "prostituted for party political purposes".