A SENIOR East Lancashire councillor will contest an investigator's findings of misconduct when his authority's standards committee meets on Wednesday.

The deputy leader of Pendle Council and its Liberal Democrat group boss Cllr David Whipp is accused of kicking a Nelson Town Hall door during a full council meeting and of intimidating behaviour during an executive meeting debate on a leisure centres review.

Reports into the two incidents written by independent investigator Sue Ward said his behaviour amounted to a lack of respect for fellow councillors.

But 69-year-old Cllr Whipp, who has been a councillor for 44 years, said he would 'thoroughly rebut' what he described as 'misleading' accusations.

When the committee meets at 6pm on Wednesday in Nelson Town Hall, it will decide whether to uphold Ms Ward's findings that he broke the council's code of conduct and what sanctions to impose if it does so.

They could include removing him from the authority's executive and banning him from all committee and sub-committee meetings.

The Standards Committee meeting was originally scheduled for June but was delayed because it clashed with Eid celebrations meaning some witnesses were unable to attend.

In the first complaint, four Pendle Tory councillors, David Albin, Jenny Purcell, Ash Sutcliffe and Kevin Salter accused Cllr Whipp of kicking a Nelson Town Hall door during an October 2022 full council meeting.

Ms Ward's report concluded Cllr Whipp did breach the code of conduct, by showing ‘disrespect’ towards Cllrs Albin and Purcell by using ‘unnecessary, unwarranted and unreasonable force’, and ‘callous disregard for their personal safety and wellbeing’, when opening the council chamber door after they had closed it.

It adds: “Our conclusion is the actions of Cllr Whipp, when forcibly opening the door, after David Albin and Jenny Purcell had closed it, with no consideration to the safety and wellbeing of his fellow councillors and without justification, amounts to failing to treat fellow councillors with respect."

The second complaint came from Cllr Ash Sutcliffe about a July 2023 Pendle executive meeting during a leisure centres review debate.

It alleged Cllr Whipp subjected Cllr Sutcliffe to intimidating behaviour by speaking in a derogatory way and shaking large sheets of A3 paper very close to his face while shouting.

Ms Ward's report said: "The allegation against Cllr Whipp, that he breached the code of conduct by disrespecting Ash Sutcliffe, can be seen to have been confirmed. The code states disrespect includes personal attack, harassment and bullying.”

Cllr Whipp said: "The Conservative councillors have given a misleading account of that went on both occasions.

"I did not kick a door or behave aggressively.

"I shall thoroughly rebut the false allegations when the standards committee meets."