The public is being kept in the dark over the identities of dirty cafs and restaurants on a health risk list.

Brighton and Hove City Council has refused a request by The Argus under the Freedom of Information Act for the list of premises considered a high risk to human health.

The authority said it was not in the public interest to disclose the information and claimed publication could prejudice any future trial of persistent violators of hygiene laws.

Paul O'Neill, the council's freedom of information officer, revealed several premises had pleaded with him not to reveal their identities in case it damaged trade.

The Argus has lodged a complaint against the decision.

The Freedom of Information Act, which came into force earlier this year, provides a general right of access to information held by public authorities.

The council did divulge it was keeping a close eye on 23 establishments.

Documents already in the public domain show council officers are carrying out two random inspections per year on so-called Category A high-risk premises. It is not suggested premises in this category are flouting regulations - many are simply there because they cater for vulnerable people or are large premises which require additional inspections.

But the list also includes eateries with poor hygiene records and the decision means their identities will remain hidden.

Green Party councillor Bill Randall said diners had a right to know which places were judged to be a risk to human health.

He called for the council to introduce a "scores on doors" scheme under which restaurants were forced to publish the ratings from their latest food hygiene report.

Brighton and Hove environment councillor Gill Mitchell said the difficulty with such a scheme was that a restaurant which responded to a poor rating by improving its hygiene record would be saddled with the rating for several months until the next inspection.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "Any restaurant routinely flouting hygiene laws we prosecute, and everyone hears about it."