Mr Winter says he intends to instruct the council's managing director Paul Hart to introduce "very strict measures" to enable those who leak information about the council to be identified.

And he has vowed to bring whoever revealed the Keepmoat details to book.

The leak last week revealed the stadium was losing £20,000 a week and raised the possibility of Doncaster Rovers being asked to pay more rent.

Mr Winter said he was dismayed someone should share commercially-sensitive information with the media which he claimed could derail the progress the council had made.

He said: "The Audit Commission has publicly stated the council is not achieving the high standards of governance local people should expect, and specifically quotes weaknesses in our elected members' behaviour.

"I suspect this is another example of councillors leaking confidential information in an attempt to damage me, as the mayor, and in full knowledge that this will damage the council, probably with an eye on the forthcoming elections.

"This leaves me with no choice but to instruct the managing director to put in place very strict measures to ensure these people can be identified and the public are made aware of just how much their behaviour is costing the council and its taxpayers."

But opposition councillors have defended those who unveil cabinet secrets.

Peter Farrell, a member of the Alliance of Independent Members, said: "If a member of the council, from whatever party, has a crisis of conscience then I would always support their going to the Press.

"I've no idea who revealed the details last week but they have my wholehearted support.

"When Martin Winter wanted the money to build the Keepmoat, and was convinced it was going to make a profit, he was perfectly happy for it to be reported - well, it hasn't, and the people have a right to know that."

"The ratepayers of Doncaster are paying for these projects and I can't see how they'll get anything back."

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Edwin Simpson added: "Though I have no idea which councillor was responsible for the leak, I commend whoever it was. We feel an issue like the finances of a £32 million community stadium should be a matter of public record. If there is a planning failure of this magnitude then the people who are footing the bill have a right to know about it. The initial plans for the stadium predicted a profit from year one and that just hasn't happened."

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