A SENIOR North-East councillor has been cleared of breaking a national code of conduct.

Councillor Bill Waters, of Sedgefield Borough Council, appeared before the Adjudication Panel for England yesterday.

The tribunal heard that the allegation against Coun Waters stemmed from advice given to the cabinet by the authority's monitoring officer, Dennis Hall, to rescind a decision on the restructuring of the council.

Planning officer Charlie Walton told the tribunal that Coun Waters had interrupted a meeting he was in, in October 2002.

He said Coun Waters appeared agitated and said to him that Mr Hall had not come forward with his advice sooner because he was aggrieved at not being considered favourably for the post of chief executive.

He also claimed Mr Hall had said he would accept such a promotion for £10,000 or more.

Planning officer Steve Barker, who was also present, said he could not remember Coun Waters issuing those statements.

But he said he remembered Coun Waters saying Mr Hall was finished with the council.

Coun Waters said he could not recall the meeting with the two officers, but denied making any remarks about Mr Hall at any time.

Tribunal chairman Angus Andrew said the panel accepted that the meeting had taken place, but not that Coun Waters had made those statements.

He said the decision should not reflect on Mr Walton, who had given his evidence with dignity, but added that it had been totally inappropriate to spend such a large amount of public money on the matter.

Mr Waters thanked his colleagues and family for their support and said he would be contacting his MP, Derek Foster, to ask questions of the standards board for bringing the action.