THREE rebel councillors who launched a blistering attack on their own local party leaders have been suspended.

Stockton borough councillors Steve Walmsley, Anthony Hoban and Eileen Craggs were suspended for six months following a meeting of the authority's ruling Labour group on Monday night.

The three are expected to appeal against the decision before the 14-day limit is up.

The three, who represent Thornaby wards, were among 11 who signed a damning letter calling the local Labour hierarchy "high-handed, arrogant, unwilling to listen, sneering, belligerent and bullying".

The letter, which is thought to have stemmed from a meeting of disgruntled party members in Thornaby's Griffin pub, also called for a directly-elected mayor to be installed in Stockton.

It also called for a breakaway authority - splitting the Yorkshire side of the River Tees into a separate council.

A spokesman for the regional office of the Labour Party last night confirmed the Stockton group had taken tough action.

He said: "Three councillors have been suspended from membership of the Stockton Labour group for six months for breach of Labour Party rules.

"We do not wish to comment further at the moment as the councillors concerned have the right to appeal to the regional Labour Party."

All three members have been told not to speak to the media while the matter is ongoing.

Conservative councillor Stephen Smailes, who represents Stockton's Hartburn ward, said: "In all my years of local government I have never seen anything like that letter.

I have never seen in-fighting in the Labour Party as open as this before.

"If you chose the security of a political group then you should present a united front. This is the last thing the people of Stockton want to see."

The original letter was signed by Coun Walmsley, cabinet member for Stockton South and best value review committee chairman Martyn Ingram.

Other Stockton councillors on it are Victoria ward members Anthony Hoban, Eileen Craggs and Angela Norton.

Six Labour Thornaby Town Councillors also added their name to the list - Thornaby Mayor Ivor Morgan, Ken Craggs, Beryl Robinson, Mick Moore, Ray Godwin and Dave Kennington.

It is not known what action, if any, has been taken against the other signatories.