Officials at Kensington and Chelsea council have adjourned a cabinet meeting after press were allowed to attend, claiming it would "prejudice" the forthcoming public inquiry.
The High Court earlier ruled that the council must let journalists attend the meeting - the first to be held by the local authority since the fire - after reporters were initially told they were barred.
The decision by the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Nicholas Paget-Brown, to postpone the meeting on Thursday afternoon triggered an angry response including from opposition councillor Robert Atkinson, who demanded the cabinet's resignation.
Mr Paget-Brown had already begun a statement on the authority's response to the crisis when reporters arrived.
After giving a short update, he announced to the room: "Given the public inquiry, we want to ensure our meetings do not descend into informal inquiries without all the facts to hand.
"As you will be aware this is a private meeting of the cabinet, to which other Kensington and Chelsea councillors have been invited."
Mr Atkinson intervened: "Why are press here, then?"
Representatives of the press have a legal right to attend public meetings of local authorities.
Mr Paget-Brown continued: "I have agreed the meeting be held in private, given the subject under discussion and the recent real threats of assault on council staff and damage to buildings.
"I am advised that, if there are others present, we cannot have an open discussion."
Additional reporting PA
