WYRE'S council leader could be banned for up to five years if a complaint against him is upheld by a national standards board.

Cllr Alan Vincent is facing allegations that he 'failed to disclose a personal interest, failed to withdraw from a meeting when a matter on which he had a personal interest was discussed, sought improperly to influence a decision on the matter and brought his office or authority into disrepute'.

The allegations were made in February to the Standards Board for England, the body which monitors the standards of councillors' behaviour. It decided to refer the case upward to the Adjudication Panel for England (APE) which will hold a hearing at Blackpool's Hilton Hotel on October 14.

And today (Thursday) he faces a vote of no confidence at Wyre Borough Council, tabled by Wyre's opposition leader, Labour councillor Geoff Horrocks.

Cllr Horrocks launched his stinging attack on his opponent after reading the latest comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) report produced by the independent Audit Commission.

Cllr Horrocks stormed: "Having now had time to digest the appalling Audit Commission assessment of Wyre Borough Council, I am forced to wonder how Cllr Vincent has the nerve to show his face in town.

"The report says Wyre Borough Council scored well in only one out of ten areas assessed. Leadership through partnerships is patchy. Who is the leader?" he demanded.

"Who is the leader who got rid of the chief exec, got rid of the treasurer, and the solicitor?"

He added: "You can only blame the officers for so long. Surely it is now time for Cllr Vincent and his cabinet cronies to shoulder the responsibility they are being paid for."

Cllr Vincent countered with: "I think it's a political stunt. If the only idea they Labour can come up with is an attack on me I am sure people will be saddened by that. What we need to do is to work towards improvements."

He said he had expected a bad report, as the council was halfway through a long-term restructuring plan at the time of the Audit Commission's assessment.

He accused Cllr Horrocks of 'sniping from the sidelines' instead of taking a cabinet seat and backing improvements.

He declined to comment on how he thought the vote might go.

But he confirmed he will be attending is APE hearing in October. "I will be represented by counsel at the hearing and I don't accept the allegations," he said.