A COUNCIL has denied allegations it has excluded its fiercest critic from applying to join its own standards committee.

Bernard Borman, from Leyburn, North Yorkshire, has led a one-man crusade against a number of top executives on Richmondshire District Council over the past eight years - and has also represented or advised others with grievances against the authority.

However, his relationship with the administration soured further last July, when chief executive Harry Tabiner alleged it had cost the authority more than £100,000 to investigate Mr Borman's complaints.

Mr Tabiner said that, since 1994, the council had faced 20 separate inquiries by the Local Government Ombudsman, two court actions, held ten internal inquiries, and co-operated with a number of investigations by the District Auditor - all instigated by Mr Borman.

But the allegations sparked a fresh war of words between the two men, fuelled further by a fax to Mr Borman in which Mr Tabiner claimed he was widely regarded as "a buffoon".

There have been a number of exchanges since, as Mr Borman has continued to contest the allegations made over the cost of his complaints.

Meanwhile, he has also made several attempts to join the authority's standards committee as an independent member, with the most recent in the past few weeks.

In a letter received in reply on June 9, Mr Borman was warned his friendship with outspoken Catterick councillor Tony Pelton could jeopardise his application.

The council's head of democratic services, Michael Dowson, pointed out that Reglation 4 of the Authorities (Standards Committee) Regulations states members may not be appointed if they have a close friend or relative who is a council member of officer.

But Mr Borman insisted he had an equal right to apply to join the committee, and said his links with Councillor Pelton were a smoke screen.

"If I was appointed and Councillor Pelton were to appear before the committee for any reason, I would simply declare an interest and not participate in the debate," he said.

"Yet again, this is another example of my civic rights being withdrawn. It seems I do not have the right to participate in community life simply because, in the past, I may have scored a few bulls-eyes."

However, Mr Dowson said his letter to Mr Borman was merely to alert him to a potential problem and, if he made an application for the post, it would be submitted to a committee of councillors.

He said: "He will be sent an application form and, if he fills it in, it will be considered along with any others we receive.

"A committee of councillors will make a decision on who they would like to interview for the position and we would expect a decision before the end of July."