A YORK councillor has been accused of bullying, threatening and intimidatory behaviour – and assaulting a council clerk.

The allegations against the member of a parish/town council in the York area will be considered by a City of York Council standards sub-committee next week.

A report to the committee says five complaints were made against the unidentified councillor by a fellow councillor and by the council's clerk.

"It is alleged that the councillor corresponded with other councillors and the clerk in a manner which, it is alleged, was bullying, threatening and intimidating," says the report by Rachel Antonelli, head of democratic governance & deputy monitoring officer.

She said the councillor was accused of 'disruptive, aggressive and confrontational' behaviour during a meeting in November 2019, in particular towards the clerk.

She said the clerk alleged that the councillor assaulted them during the meeting and left it before a vote was being taken to have the councillor ejected from the meeting, due to allegations around their behaviour.

She said the clerk alleged the councillor was disrespectful, bullying, used their position to create an advantage over the Clerk and intimidated people at a meeting in February 2020, from which they were ejected.

A councillor had also alleged that the councillor had repeatedly 'bullied, threatened and harassed' councillors and staff.

The report said investigating officer, Stephen Pearson of Freeths Solicitors, had been asked to investigate these complaints.

"The investigating officer is of the opinion that the councillor did breach the code of conduct by being disrespectful, in breach of the ode of conduct, towards the clerk and members of the town/parish council and that the councillor also behaved, on a number of occasions, in a manner which was bullying and/or intimidatory, in particular towards the clerk, also in breach of the code," it said.

"The complainant and subject member have been asked to indicate whether they intend to attend the hearing, to identify facts which they say are in dispute, and provide their views as to whether any part of the hearing should be in public.

"In the event that the sub committee finds that the code has been breached, it will need to determine whether a sanction should be imposed and if so, what sanction."

The report does not identify the councillor concerned. When The Press asked whether they might be identified in the interests of transparency, a spokesperson said: "We have a pre-panel briefing on Tuesday where the Panel will determine whether the hearing will be in public or private.

"If in public then the papers will be published and in the public domain to reflect this."