COUNCILLORS at a troubled local authority will receive extra training next week to ensure their behaviour is up to scratch.

Members of Richmondshire District Council will attend compulsory classes on the councillor code of conduct.

The move comes after councillors were heavily criticised by district auditor Mark Kirkham.

Following his annual inspection, Mr Kirkham said that members' conduct had fallen "well below the standards the public has a right to expect".

Mr Kirkham made a section 11 recommendation, which is a formal request for the council to take action.

The recommendation said: "Members should receive training on the code of conduct and training relevant to their role as employer to improve the way they conduct themselves.

"Members should then be reminded of their duties on a regular basis.

"Robust procedures should be put in place to ensure that the code is followed in practice and the results measured."

The training was agreed at a meeting held before last week's election.

The training, which will form part of the councillors' induction, which both new and returning members will receive, will be given by monitoring officer Callum McKeon, independent member of the council's standards committee, Gerald Burnett, and head of democratic services Michael Dowson.

Council leader John Blackie said at the meeting that the authority was already planning to introduce a training programme before the district auditor's report.

But he added: "We as a council must accept the section 11 recommendation. We must accept the seriousness of the management situation which has brought the district auditor to use it."

Deputy leader Linda Curran said: "I look forward to doing more training. I don't have a problem with it and I hope you all embrace it with the same spirit."

The authority has been beset by political in-fighting for the past two years, mainly linked to its proposed move from Richmond to headquarters in Colburn.

Relationships deteriorated last year amid accusations that some members had bullied officers.

The allegations were later rejected by the Standards Board for England.