A COUNCILLOR is threatening to quit politics over a row about a four-letter word which he says will cost the taxpayer more than £50,000.

Billy Blenkinsopp faces a tribunal on Thursday in the latest stage of a long-running Durham County Council Standards Committee issue.

The Great Aycliffe Town councillor first came under scrutiny when he was accused of being drunk at a town council meeting last year.

Fellow town councillor Dorothy Bowman also alleges Councillor Blenkinsopp told her to “p*** off” that evening.

A hearing on May 18 found that Coun Blenkinsopp had used foul language towards Councillor Bowman and ruled he should write a letter of apology.

When Coun Blenkinsopp failed to write the letter, a second hearing, on September 16, decided to suspend him for three months.

Colette Longbottom, Durham County Council’s monitoring officer, said: “The panel felt that town councillor Blenkinsopp had shown a blatant disregard to the Standards Committee following his agreement to apologise during the original hearing.”

Coun Blenkinsopp said last night that the issue would end up costing taxpayers more than £50,000.

He said a three-month ban for failing to say sorry was disproportionate and that he would have accepted a warning.

Coun Blenkinsopp said: “I never accepted the original decision and that is why I did not write the letter of apology.

“I would have accepted a warning or a rap on the knuckles, but a three-month ban for this is totally disproportionate.

“I am determined to clear my name and if the decision is upheld on Thursday, I will step down altogether.”

Coun Bowman declined to comment and said it was a matter for the tribunal to resolve.