A LOCAL authority was last night embroiled in a row with one of its councillors.

The leader of Durham County Council has asked for the resignation of Keith Murray-Hetherington, who has attended only eight out of 78 council meetings in the past two years.

But Councillor Murray-Hetherington is refusing to go, and has lodged a complaint against council leader Ken Manton, The Northern Echo has learnt.

The councillor, from Stanley, who claims more than £6,900 a year from his basic allowance, says Coun Manton breached the authority's code of conduct in seeking his resignation.

Coun Murray-Hetherington, once the country's youngster civic leader when he became chairman of Derwentside District Council at the age of 26, failed to attend his own count when re-elected to the county council in June 2001.

The Labour group on the county council could withdraw the whip from him, but otherwise is powerless to act as Coun Murray-Hetherington has attended the minimum requirement of one meeting every six months.

Last night, Coun Manton said he found it "bizarre" that Coun Murray-Hetherington had made a complaint against him. He said: "An important part of my job as leader is to ensure that my fellow councillors do the job they are voted into office to do.

"While Coun Murray-Hetherington's attendance record complies with the minimum requirements, the people of Stanley might be excused for asking themselves if their interests are being served as well as they might."

Earlier this year, North Durham MP Kevan Jones accused Coun Murray-Hetherington of treating his constituents "with contempt" and urged him to "show up or stand down".

The councillor has argued in the past that he has to juggle a number of public commitments.

He is chairman of the Derwentside Primary Care Trust, earning between £10,000 and £12,000 for the post, and also a North Durham magistrate.

Coun Murray-Hetherington said: "My legal team has advised me not to comment on the county council leader's call upon me to resign, except to state that I have already referred Coun Manton's conduct in this matter to the Standards Board for England."