Cllrs may face suspension

ALL three Tories on the Fire Authority were threatened with referral to the Standards Board after refusing to leave during a secret part of a meeting.

One of the items on the agenda of the Fire Authority meeting on Wednesday last week was made secret and it was demanded councillors from the Royal Borough did not participate. However, councillors Philip Bicknell, John Lenton and Christine Bateson refused to leave and Liberal Democrat Cllr Jeff Brooks (Thatchem West Ward), threatened to refer them to the board.

Cllr Christine Bateson, who resigned as Deputy Chairman of the Fire Authority over the plans to close Windsor Fire Station at night, said: "We cannot tell you what was discussed but let me assure you that residents in Windsor and Maidenhead would have wanted us to be there. I'm appalled that the Liberal Democrats are keeping this discussion private and trying to ban our delegates from making an impact. The public interest would have been far better served by greater openness."

The board has the power to suspend all three councillors from the Fire Authority if found guilty of any wrong doing.