A LABOUR councillor has resigned from a committee which cleared a colleague over allegations about their conduct in a safeguarding probe, calling the hearing a "farce".

Cllr David Jones has resigned from his position on the Bury Council Standards Committee after it was decided that former Conservative leader Cllr Iain Gartside had not breached the authority's code of conduct during probes into the authority's handling of the Simon Carter safeguarding affair.

Cllr Jones now wants the council's constitution to be amended and the case against Cllr Gartside reheard.

Cllr Jones said: "I found the process we went through was just farcical and the fact I was outvoted is not the point.

"I have been known to be wrong, but on this occasion I had the same view as the two independent advisors — that Iain Gartside had breached the code of conduct.

"They can do a better job without me."

Cllr Jones, a retired police inspector, said: "I have sat through I don't know how many trials and you hear the evidence. Some are more safe than others and that was pretty safe in my suggestion and the belief of the two lay people."

Cllr Jones, Liberal Democrat Cllr Tim Pickstone and Conservative Cllr Robert Hodkinson were part of a panel meeting on Wednesday, which looked at Cllr Gartside's conduct during the Newsam inquiry.

The investigation looked into the council's handling of a criminal investigation that led the sentencing of former Tottington ward Cllr Simon Carter for 16 counts of making indecent images of children.

The panel also included independent members Simon Goacher Valerie Bracken and Paul Howard — but only the councillors were permitted a vote, although the independent memners could advise and ask questions through the meeting.

Cllr Gartside was brought before the standards committee because of a letter sent from then-chief executive to him in the aftermath of the allegations against Carter coming to light.

The letter was a timeline detailing the actions of council officers after they were told about Carter.

The conclusions of another independent probe — the Bourne inquiry — found that the letter, sent to the Conservative group through Cllr Gartside, is "misleading", though was not necessarily intended to mislead.

Cllr Gartside was also asked to answer allegations he had failed to co-operate with the Newsam review and the letter was not handed over to Malcolm Newsam's review.

Cllr Jones said: "I didn't think it would go the way it did once we had heard the evidence. To my mind and the independent person Ms Bracken, we were quite clear that the code had been breached, but not according to my two colleagues."

Cllr Jones is also calling for the council's constitution to be changed to ensure cases are heard only by independent people in future and would like the panel to rehear Cllr Gartside's case.

He said: "The process has to change and I want to see if we can get it reheard by someone with no connection to Bury.

"I doubt that will happen, but it doesn't stop me asking."

Cllr Jones said the public may feel the same as him about the outcome of the meeting. He said: "They already hold politicians in contempt and this gives them some comfort to say 'this is why we don't like them and they shouldn't be looking at their own standards'.

"I don't want to be associated with the standards regime in this format because it doesn't work for me."

Cllr Gartside was unavailable for comment.

Conservative leader Cllr James Daly said: "I do not comment on the outcome of standards hearings."

A council spokesman said: "There is no facility within the council’s existing standards procedures to appeal any decision made by the Standards Committee.

"Any amendments to the standards procedures would have to be in accordance with existing legislation and would need consideration by the full council.

"If elected members want to consider this, then a formal request should be made via the usual channels."