Town council writes to parishes in bid to remove a member

A TOWN council has taken the unprecedented step of writing to a dozen parish councils in a bid to remove a controversial councillor.

Pocklington Town Council called for the resignation of Coun Andy Strangeway after East Riding councillors voted by 62 votes to one in favour of sanctions against him, following a recent standards committee hearing.

Last month Coun Strangeway, inset, was found to have breached the code of conduct for councillors after the committee upheld allegations of bullying and making a confidential council email – which contained details of future events for two groups of adopted children – public via his blog. The events had to be cancelled.

Pocklington Town councillor Martin Cooper said: “If there’s an issue within the system, there’s ways of approaching that system – you do not endanger children.”

A letter signed by Mayor David Sykes said they believed Coun Strangeway “has no place serving the public in a paid position” for leaking the confidential information.

It added: “Pocklington Town Council are looking to our neighbouring parish councils to support us by also considering a vote of no confidence with regards to Coun Strangeway with a view to asking him for his resignation.” However, Coun Strangeway remained defiant, saying it was a “desperate” attempt to discredit him. He added: “Yes, I did expose it (the email) and would do again because we are still sending out communications by unsafe means to carers.”

Coun Strangeway produced a testimonial from one parish council – Sutton upon Derwent – praising him for being “conscientious and enthusiastic”.

He said: “This conduct typifies the childish campaign I have been subjected to for nearly two years by Pocklington Town Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council Conservatives. I would like to politely suggest that they all grow up.”