A YORK councillor accused of bullying and threatening behaviour, and of assaulting a clerk, WILL be identified after all - but not yet.

City of York Council says a standards sub-committee hearing, which was due to consider the allegations against the town/parish councillor tomorrow, has been postponed until at least mid-March.

But it will then be held in public and the councillor’s identity will be made public before the hearing, a council spokesman said.

The Press had contacted the council earlier this week to ask for the councillor to be identified, arguing that it was clearly in the public interest for their identity to be known by the public whom they represent on a town/parish council.

It said: "If the veil of secrecy is not lifted, people all over York may wrongly wonder if the allegations relate to a member of their local town or parish council," adding: "Transparency is vital in local government if democracy is to flourish."

A council spokesperson said a panel had decided the hearing should be adjourned for a short period of time, to the first available date after four weeks, after reading submissions from parties.

"The panel have determined that when the papers are due to be published for the rescheduled hearing, usually one week before, the papers will be made public," they said. "In addition, the hearing will also be held in public."

As The Press reported last weekend, a report to the sub-committee stated that five complaints had been brought against the unnamed councillor by a fellow councillor and a council clerk.

The first complaint related to an email sent in 2019, in which it is alleged that the councillor was “bullying, threatening and intimidating” towards other councillors and the clerk.

The councillor is also accused of “disruptive, aggressive and confrontational behaviour” during a meeting in November 2019.

The clerk also claims the councillor assaulted them.

In February 2020, it is claimed that the councillor was disrespectful and bullying.

Another complaint said the councillor “repeatedly bullied, threatened and harassed councillors and staff”.

Stephen Pearson of Freeths Solicitors was asked to investigate the complaints.

Rachel Antonelli, head of democratic governance and deputy monitoring officer, said: “The investigating officer is of the opinion that the councillor did breach the code of conduct by being disrespectful, in breach of the code of conduct, towards the clerk and members of the town/parish council and that the councillor also behaved, on a number of occasions, in a manner which was bullying and/or intimidatory, in particular towards the clerk, also in breach of the code.”

When the hearing takes place, a panel of councillors will decide whether the code of conduct has been breached and, if so, what sanctions should be imposed.