THE Ministry of Defence (MoD) has apologised to investigative website Declassified after its press team “blacklisted” journalists from the outlet. 

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also announced an independent review into the refusal of his department to engage with journalists at Declassified.

Last month, staff reporter Phil Miller was told by an MoD press officer “we no longer deal with your publication” after he made a request on a story about Yemen. 

The apparent blacklisting of Declassified prompted a level 2 “media freedom alert” from the Council of Europe. 

In a letter received by the site’s lawyers on Tuesday, the MoD said it was “wrong” not to provide Mr Miller with a comment, adding: “We apologise for this.”

Mr Wallace told the Commons on Monday that he was treating the incident with “the utmost seriousness.”

Declassified’s editor Mark Curtis said: “We very much welcome the MoD’s apology and commitment to a review.

“Declassified UK has quickly become the foremost media organisation revealing the UK’s real role in the world, in contrast to an increasingly sycophantic national press.

“A vibrant democracy demands that public officials co-operate with journalists acting in the public interest.”