A FORMER town mayor, Mary Cooper, used the public participation session at last week's full town council meeting to call for more public openness when it comes to the bullying accusations against two Ledbury town councillors, and to speak in support of the staff members who say they have been bullied.

She asked why the staff members would say they had been bullied unless they actually felt it was the case.

Sanctions have been taken against two Ledbury town councillors after complaints that they had bullied, intimidated and harassed staff were upheld last month, following an investigation by fellow councillors

The complaints were brought by town clerk, Karen Mitchell and Deputy Clerk, Maria Bradman against Cllr Liz Harvey and Cllr Andrew Harrison.

Cllrs Harvey and Harrison both deny the allegations and have challenged the legality of the outcome, saying that it was the duty of Herefordshire Council to investigate, and not the town council.

Speaking as a member of the public at last week's meeting in the Ledbury Community Hall, Miss Cooper said of the grievance procedure: "Are we to seriously think that the clerk and deputy clerk brought the grievance on some frolic of their own? Why on earth would they ?; - that they did not feel harassed and bullied? Surely the evidence supports their allegations?

Miss Cooper added: " Maybe it is time for the full evidence to be revealed now the matter is in the open."

She added: "The town council employs the staff and it is their duty to take action when the grievance procedure is invoked.

"Let this mess be cleared up as soon as possible: that you all try and treat each other with respect, and that applies to the staff whom you cannot do without, - and to treat them with anything less as competent professionals is foolish."

But both Cllr Harvey and Harrison have questioned the accuracy of minutes taken and presented in relation to the grievance procedure against them, and concern about the minutes was also raised by a member of the public at the same meeting.

Nina Shields said: "Having had training as a professional minute taker, I am astonished at the inadequacy of the minutes. If this is the usual standard of minute taking, no wonder council members and staff frequently misunderstand each other.

"I am already in correspondence with the Monitoring Officer and will relay this information to her."

Later in the meeting, Cllr Harvey herself questioned the minutes, asking why the concerns she raised at the May 12 meeting were not recorded: specifically her concerns that a grievous panel resolution on January 19, not to involve the Herefordshire Association of Local Councils officer, was not "abided by at the meeting of May 5, when the Grievance Panel recommendations were considered by full council".

Cllr Harvey also asked why her request for clarification at the May 12 meeting, as to why the Code of Conduct process "was being openly discussed" was also not minuted.

Cllr Harvey proposed an amendment to the minutes because of these points, but this was defeated by a vote.

Before the vote, Cllr Nick Morris asked the clerk, Karen Mitchell to repeat back the words for Cllr Harvey's proposed amendments. Mrs Mitchell twice said she had taken them down accurately but Cllr Morris insisted she should repeat them in public, which led to some councillors asking if Cllr Morris was doubting the word of the clerk.

Mrs Mitchell repeated the words of the proposed amendment, to the satisfaction of the town councillors in attendance.