Had the proposals been given the green light, the move would have threatened publications such as the Arbroath Herald and the Guide & Gazette by significantly reducing their revenue.

Members of the Scottish Parliament voted 76-48 to defeat the SNP plans to move the advertisements online instead.

The Conservative candidate for Angus, Alberto Costa, backed a campaign by newspapers throughout the country, including the Herald and Gazette, for public notices to remain in local publications.

And he was delighted that opposition MSPs worked together to quash the SNP plans.

Mr Costa commented: "This is an example of political parties, except the SNP, putting their differences aside and working for the interests of the local community who value and rely on public information supplied by local newspapers. The SNP did not listen but thankfully my colleagues and I did.

"I am very relieved that my campaigning efforts and those of fellow politicians across the political spectrum ensured that this deeply damaging policy to the local newspaper industry did not get through.

"Newspapers, such as the Herald and Guide & Gazette, will continue to receive much needed revenue for the placing of public notices and the vital role that local newspapers provide in communicating to the local public will continue as a result of the defeat of this SNP policy."

He concluded: "I hope that Herald and Guide & Gazette readers will now see that the Scottish Conservatives can put party political differences aside when the local community and its local newspapers are threatened by the actions of the SNP government."