FIVE North Yorkshire councillors are being investigated over alleged breaches of their code and conduct.

The investigation is the latest chapter of a increasingly bitter dispute at Richmondshire District Council.

It follows a complaint to the Standards Board for England by Margaret Barry, the authority's monitoring officer.

The five members under scrutiny are the former leader of the council, Councillor John Blackie, leader of the Liberal Democrats John Harris, plus councillors Stuart Parsons, Sheila Clarke and Wendy Morton.

The complaint by Mrs Barry centres on a document signed by the five councillors that claimed the new Independent Coalition for Richmondshire, which took control of the authority last year, was formed illegally.

The councillors said the treatment of the new group by senior officers, including Mrs Barry, meant the council had broken the law.

This claim has been denied by both council officers and members of the coalition.

The signed document was copied to the media, which Mrs Barry claims amounts to a public form of bullying.

The Standards Board will look at whether the councillors failed to treat Mrs Barry with respect, whether they brought the authority into disrepute and whether they compromised impartiality.

Last night, Coun Parsons and Coun Blackie both refuted the allegations.

Coun Parsons said: "I deny totally the allegations made against me and also refute those against the other members who have been reported and I shall, of course, fight this fully and openly.

"I am, in fact, delighted that the Standards Board will be investigating elements of the questions relating to the legality of the so-called coalition and to this end, I have asked that the Standards Board investigate the allegations in public, at the town hall.

"This will allow the electors of Richmondshire to join us and make their minds up about this very important issue."

Coun Blackie said: "I refute the allegations that have been placed in front of the Standards Board about me.

"I will be defending vigorously that position in whatever Standards Board hearing is designated. If there is a hearing, I would want it to be held in public.

"I'm very disappointed that an officer should report members in this way when we weren't doing anything other than questioning their judgement, not their integrity and not their professional competence, in what was, and still is, a very grey area."

Councillors Harris, Morton and Clarke declined to comment, as did Mrs Barry.