A TOP Tory committee criticised the way a local association handled a row which led to the Mayor of Malton being expelled from the party.

Coun Ann Hopkinson was expelled after breaching party rules by standing against a fellow Conservative as an unaffiliated candidate at the May 1 local elections. Now she has revealed details of a report into her appeal against the decision.

The Conservative Party's central individuals committee, which investigated her appeal, upheld the decision, but limited her exclusion to one year instead of the usual two.

In the findings of the committee, its chairman, Brian Hanson, was critical of the way the local Conservative association handled the matter, and felt more should have been done to ensure Coun Hopkinson was registered as a party candidate.

All those involved in the dispute were originally subject to a ruling that the committee's findings should remain confidential, but Coun Hopkinson said she had subsequently been told by a party official that the publicity ban had been lifted.

But John Ashworth, chairman of Ryedale Conservative Association, said he and others involved had been asked to give their word that the whole of the proceedings should remain confidential.

"Unfortunately, therefore, on behalf of the association, I am not in a position to comment on the part of those proceedings released by Mrs Hopkinson," he said.

Updated: 11:22 Wednesday, October 29, 2003