A PARISH council chairman who has refused to sign up to the Government's new code of conduct is also refusing to resign.

Coun John Cronin has been a member of Middleton in Teesdale Council for three years and chairman for the past two. He was re-elected at the annual meeting on Tuesday, saying he would remain as long as he was able.

Although the parish council has agreed as a body to adopt the code, there has been some dissent among members about being required to register their interests.

This caused Coun John Miller to point out that as they had only 28 days after adopting the code in which to declare those interests they already had a problem as that time had elapsed. As a way of moving things forward, he suggested those who wished to stay on as councillors should sign the forms and hand them to the clerk as soon as possible.

Coun Ian Galletley of Teesdale District Council urged members to examine their position carefully. Any decisions they made after not filling in the forms would be open to challenge, as it could have been said that they were operating improperly.

"If you intend to stay on you should sign immediately," he urged.

But Coun Cronin remained adamant that he would neither adopt the code nor register his interests, just as a matter of principle. Neither would he resign.

"I have said all along I would test this, so I will stay on until I am removed," he told the D&S Times.

The district council's head of administration, Mike Dennis, said Coun Cronin was aware of the rules and his position.

"Anyone who does not sign within the time-frame will be disqualified from being a councillor," he said.

Mr Dennis said if Coun Cronin did not sign, he would no longer be a member of the parish council. Mr Dennis would not be drawn on how Coun Cronin's removal might be implemented if it came to the crunch.

Meanwhile a letter of resignation was read out from Coun Jeff Crossley, confirming that he too would not sign the code on principle.