A NORTH-EAST councillor has been given 14 days to apologise for abusive behaviour.

Independent councillor Joan McTigue appeared before Middlesbrough Council's standards committee accused of acting aggressively during a heated argument with youth service development officer David Morris and Tracey Widdowfield, the manager of Beechwood Youth and Community Centre, in the town.

She was also accused of telling the centre's caretaker to "get out" while she spoke to Ms Widdowfield in private.

Ms McTigue confronted Ms Widdowfield amid accusations over who sent an annotated copy of a newsletter to Beechwood Community Centre.

Ms Widdowfield told the hearing that she felt intimidated by the angry confrontation with the councillor.

The hearing was told that while Ms McTigue was in the manager's office, she also had a heated telephone conversation with Mr Morris.

It was during this conversation that Mr Morris told the councillor he did not give a damn about what she said.

An investigation into the row was carried out by the Standards Board for England. It concluded that the councillor had breached the code of conduct by being abusive to the two council officers.

But the committee also criticised Mr Morris for not showing due respect to a councillor. However, it accepted that he had been provoked by verbal abuse.

Committee chairman Geoff Fell said: "I am not sure anybody comes out of this with any great amount of honour."

Ms McTigue now has 14 days to write her letter of apology to the three council staff she was abusive too.

Speaking after the hearing she said: "It was a storm in a tea cup that has been blown out of proportion.