CALLS have been made for the chairwoman of a town council to resign over the wrongful sacking of the authority's clerk.

It has been suggested that Labour councillor and mayor, Beryl Robinson, chairwoman of Thornaby Town Council, should stand down after the sacking of Leanne Plant cost taxpayers more than £20,000.

Residents and councillors in Thornaby said they were upset that Mrs Robinson had merely received a "slapped wrist" by the Adjudication Panel of England, over her handling of the affair, while former councillor Ivor Morgan was suspended from public office for two years.

Both had failed to declare an interest and leave meetings about the sacking, but auditors also criticised the council's lack of guidelines and inefficiency when spending cash.

Critics said claims by Mrs Robinson, who is also a Stockton Borough councillor, that she was ignorant of local Government laws, which led her to break the code of conduct, could not be accepted.

Independent Stockton Borough councillor Steve Walmsley, who represents Thornaby, said: "There are a lot of people very angry over what happened with regards the clerk.

"Anybody with an ounce of shame would have gone by now.

"The clerk's sacking cost this town dearly, and I think it's now up to her own conscience."

Former Stockton Borough councillor Eileen Craggs, who resigned from representing Thornaby last year due to ill health, agreed.

She said: "Of course, she should resign. I think she got off very lightly. As far as I'm concerned, she was as guilty as Ivor Morgan, and everyone else who took part in those decisions."

Mother-of-three Miss Plant was awarded £12,500 last year after an Employment Tribunal ruled she had been wrongfully dismissed after allowing the council's independent group to photocopy pre-election leaflets.

The tribunal ruled that her sacking had been "politically motivated" and the Standards Board for England said the council may have been underpaid for the use of the photocopier by £40.

At the time, Mrs Robinson refused to resign.

Last week, after the Adjudication Panel of England's ruling, she admitted doing wrong, but said she had always tried her best.

She said: "I have only ever wanted to do my best for Thornaby. I have tried to make sure Thornaby is back on the map. I hope this is the end. I don't know how much more I can take of this."

She was unavailable for comment yesterday.