Councillors got into 'wrestling match' at meeting
GoogleA heated row between two councillors at a parish council meeting ended up in a "wrestling match" in front of shocked locals, a report for a standards committee has said.
Darlington borough councillor Colin Pease and parish councillor David Darling were said to have been involved in a "physical altercation" last May at a community centre in Middleton St George, Darlington, according to the document.
Pease was said to have been left with "scratches and blood on his face", whereas Darling had bruising, the report said.
Darlington Borough Council's standards committee will consider whether the pair breached any code of conduct rules when it meets on Monday.
The report said Darling, chairman and treasurer of the local community centre, asked Pease, an Independent councillor, several questions "in a raised voice and provoking manner".
After not being given time to answer the questions, Pease allegedly called Darling a "prat" before trying to leave the room, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
But, according to the report, he was blocked from leaving after Darling "shut the door with force" and went towards Pease in a "rugby-type tackle".
There is a "dispute in regard to who initiated the physical altercation", the report said.
Pease accused Darling of "grabbing him around the neck", whereas Darling claimed Pease "punched him first", according to statements.
Broken glasses
Witnesses likened the disorder to a "wrestling match" with both men locked in a "very physical exchange of attempted punches and hair pulling", the report said.
Other parish councillors said they feared for the safety of others in the room during the incident, the report added.
Early findings by Ellie Dewar, the independent investigating officer, ahead of the standards hearing, said Darling had breached the code of conduct and concluded the complaints about Pease were unproven.
She also said Pease had "failed to treat councillor Darling with respect".
"With hindsight, a better and more polite and collected response may have prevented the following physical altercation taking place," she said.
Durham Police has since told the LDRS a full investigation was carried out, "which involved speaking to several witnesses, and gathering accounts from those involved".
"The victim was unsupportive of a prosecution and, as a result, the investigation was closed," a spokesperson added.
Pease has also called for reimbursement due to broken glasses, estimated at about £325.
Two separate panels will consider the complaints against each individual.