Horowhenua District Council's been told to apologise to Mayor Michael Feyen and four others for blocking their emails for six years

Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier's found the council had failed to follow the principles of transparency, accountability and fairness.

The officials complained to the Ombudsman about being put on an email "quarantine" list - whereby the council prevented their messages going directly to staff.

Boshier says the emails were diverted to the council's chief executive to be vetted - sometimes without their knowledge.

He says it's fundamental to democracy that constituents should be able to communicate with their elected representatives.