POLITICAL back-biting made a rare appearance at Cam Parish Council in the aftermath of Dursley district councillor Hilary Fowles (Lab) being reported to the Standards Board of England.

A joint Conservative and Liberal Democrat motion had claimed Cllr Fowles "deliberately lied" to the council over the failed housing transfer vote, but it was subsequently withdrawn.

The complaint has still gone to the standards board but it has been down to individual councillors to file the complaint rather than the authority as a whole.

But at last week's meeting of the parish council former Labour county councillor for Cam Cllr Brian Addle aired his displeasure at two of his parish council colleagues.

Stroud District Council's Cam ward members Cllr Dennis Andrewartha (Lib Dem, Cam West) and Cllr John Hudson (Con, Cam East) both put their names to the original motion.

Cllr Addle said: "I was disappointed to see two members of this council had reported Cllr Hilary Fowles."

But Cllr Andrewartha insisted that he was doing what he thought was right according to the constitution of the district council.

He said: "It is your duty to report a matter if you believe that something is wrong."

Cllr Margaret Nolder (Lab), Cam member of Gloucestershire County Council, who sits on its own standards board, suggested she knew why such complaints were usually made.

She said: "I feel that all these sorts of complaints are party political and generally I suspect people use the standards board as a battering ram for things that they should sort out themselves."

Cllr Addle then asked Cllr Andrewartha if an apology to Cllr Fowles would be forthcoming if the standards board found her not guilty.

To this Cllr Andrewartha answered "Yes", but then suggested that everyone should wait for the outcome before any more was said.

He concluded the matter by saying: "Let's allow the system to sort it out."

Cllr Hudson declined to speak on the issue.