TWO councillors face being banned from council life after a bitter row over the cost of spending on plates to celebrate the millennium.

Yarm town councillors Eric Turton and Bob Stephenson have made repeated scathing criticisms of the way the council and its finances are run and now face being ejected.

Their case is being considered by the newly-formed standards in public life committee, under the auspices of Stockton Borough Council.

As former members of the parish finance committee, the men have raised many questions about the council's budget, including criticising an apparent over-spend on the town's millennium budget.

The council has a yearly spending power of about £26,000, and spent about £23,000 before the end of the year.

A large proportion of the expenditure went on special edition millennium plates commissioned by the town council, decorated with town highlights.

Coun Turton, a former managing director of Tioxide UK, said: "My own personal view, which conflicts with the council's, is the council needs a radical overhaul. It seems as if I've joined a cosy club, rather than a proper council. It doesn't address grassroots issues."

The councillors were reported to the standards committee by Yarm council for allegedly breaking the National Code of Local Government Conduct and parish standing orders, by disclosing privileged financial details to the Press.

Yarm council leader, Gwen Porter, said she did not want to speak about the millennium finances