TOWN councillors at Marlborough have come in for criticism from one of their colleagues over the way council business is run.

The drubbing came from one of the eight new members elected in May, health service worker Richard Allen.

The straight talking councillor, the only Independent of the council's east ward members, slated certain unnamed councillors for their attitude towards their colleagues and the way they conduct themselves at meetings.

He said he would not apologise for his presumption as a "mere fledgling councillor" in raising the question of how members behave.

Six of the eight new councillors elected in May were complete novices, he said, with two of the eight having had local government experience previously.

It was some of the longer serving members of the council who Coun Allen took to task in his outburst.

He said: "I am deliberately going to avoid naming any councillors tonight, unless they personally choose to identify themselves. I am sure many will recognise some of them anyway."

The poor practices he accused colleagues of were:

l Discussing other councillors in public with one councillor saying none of the others had a brain cell between them

l Breaching council rules by discussing staffing matters openly

l Ignoring correct procedure at meetings, interrupting and using raised voices

l Not always declaring an interest in accordance with guidelines issued by the Standards Board for England

l Behaviour at civic events.

Coun Allen called for a working party of councillors to be set up to look into his points but the only support when it came to vote came from Coun Peggy Dow.

Coun David Parker said: "I sympathise with everything Coun Allen has said.

"Although I am new to this council I sat in this room (as a district councillor) and heard debates for many years, some of which were extremely embarrassing."

Coun Parker referred to "an unpleasant attitude in this chamber which should not be there".

Coun Michael Gray said he did not "appreciate being lectured" on generalised comments by Coun Allen.

By a vote of 11-2 the council agreed not to set up a working party to look in councillors' behaviour.