THE leader of Preston Borough Council believes a councillor found by an employment tribunal this week to have conducted a vendetta against a senior council officer should resign his extra responsibilities.

Council leader Ian Hall also believes Conservative member Coun Geoff Driver should "consider his position as a member of the council".

"He should relinquish all offices," he said.

The Labour leader's comments follow the ruling of a Liverpool employment tribunal which found Coun Driver had victimised Shirley Harrison, the council's assistant director of legal and administration.

Coun Driver said he had already lodged an appeal and would not be resigning.

He said Coun Hall should consider his own position after being found, by a Standards Committee in October this year, to have breached a government code of conduct.

"I give Ian Hall a bad time in the council chamber on a political level and I could just as easily say why didn't he resign when he was found to have a conflict of interest in Preston Bus, as a director," said Coun Driver.

Currently Coun Driver holds key positions on the council's regeneration, community and leisure services overview and scrutiny panel and on the working party.

Conservative leader Coun Ken Hudson said he backed his colleague all the way, he said: "Geoff Driver is a very intelligent man and I have great respect for him.

"He is an asset to the Conservative group but there is a lot of talking to be done."