A FORMER council leader has accused the authority's new rulers of gagging him.

Bill Kellett, Labour Durham City councillor for Pittington and West Rainton, hit out after he was ordered to leave a meeting of the Liberal Democrat-controlled council's cabinet.

Councillor Kellett, who was the council leader during Labour's reign, is not a cabinet member, but attended the meeting, as did other non-cabinet members.

He said he was stopped from asking Councillor Carol Woods, portfolio holder for finance, about the £311,733 subsidy that the Gala Theatre has received so far this financial year.

He said Coun Woods declined to answer and, when he persisted, council leader Sue Pitts told him to leave the meeting, which he did.

"I have been a councillor for 18 years and I have never been thrown out of a meeting before,'' he said.

"What they have done is effectively disenfranchise the people I represent.

"I feel I am being denied the chance to ask questions about public money.''

But Coun Woods said Labour and the Independents each had a representative on the cabinet and that questions could be raised through them.

"If Coun Kellett wishes to, he could ask a question through David Bell, the Labour leader, who is on the cabinet. He could ask the cabinet chairman, Sue Pitts, prior to the meeting, if he could ask a question.

"But he doesn't do that. He shouts and is rude. We got to the point where we couldn't carry on and asked him to leave."