A VETERAN councillor has landed himself in hot water - after throwing a bowl of tepid water over a toddler.

The Crown Prosecuction Service is to decide whether there are grounds to prosecute Chris Abbott, leader of the Liberal Democrat group of councillors on Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Cleveland Police confirmed they have formally interviewed Coun Abbott after a two-year-old girl was drenched as he tipped a bowl of tepid water from a first floor window of his Redcar house.

Coun Abbott had meant to fling the water at three teenagers trespassing in his garden, but had second thoughts.

He says he tipped the water out directly into the garden below, unaware the child had crawled into his garden to retrieve a piece of windblown tinsel.

"I had no intention of hitting anyone. I didn't see the child at any time," he said on Monday. "Had I known she was there, I wouldn't have tipped the water out. I was absolutely devastated.''

Coun Abbott says his life is being made hell by yobs on the estate where he lives, after he tried to curb their unruly behaviour.

He claims that for the past six months he and his wife Glynis, a fellow ward councillor, have been 'victimised' by tenants, for simply trying to do their job.