THE entire cabinet of Sedgefield Borough Council is under investigation after claims that members broke a national code of conduct.

The complaints against the seven councillors, including council leader Brian Stephens, have been referred to the Standards Board for England.

The other six involved are deputy leader Fred Chaplin, Bill Waters, Terry Ward, Lucy Hovvels, Bob Fleming and John Moran. If any are found to have breached the code they could be banned from office for five years.

A spokeswoman for the Standards Board confirmed an inquiry had been launched, adding: "What we are investigating is that they improperly helped to confer an advantage on named officers without impartial advice."

It is understood part of the complaint relates to finding a successor for chief executive Norman Vaulks. A report on the matter went before the council's scrutiny committee and the Standards Board was informed. The councillors all strongly deny any wrongdoing.

The complaint is the same against each member, but the cases will be looked at individually. The investigation is expected to last months.

The board could conclude there is no evidence of a breach, that the breach is not serious enough to warrant action, or refer the complaint to an adjudication panel, which can ban a member for up to five years