A TOWN council is facing legal action after its former executive officer filed a claim for constructive dismissal with the courts.

Jamie Corrigan has launched a case against Ferryhill Town Council, in County Durham, claiming he was forced to leave his job as the authority’s most senior member of staff.

Mr Corrigan resigned from his post earlier this summer after nearly 12 years and moved away from the region.

The council is taking legal advice and a provisional date of December 14 has been set for an employment tribunal to be heard in Newcastle.

The full details of Mr Corrigan’s case against the authority have not been made public, but it is understood to include a series of incidents, dating back years, in which he has felt unable to work with individual members.

Three councillors – Brian Gibson, David Farry and Tommy Garrett – are understood to be those repeatedly named in the complaint.

All three were elected onto the council in 2007 as members of the Ferryhill Association for Independent Representation (Fair).

Mr Corrigan had been the focus of two parish polls in the town.

In 2009, one called for his job title to be changed to that of town clerk, and last year residents voted in favour of disciplinary action if a council officer misused the authority’s debit card.

Neither measure was adopted by the Labour-controlled town council.

The most recent poll followed Mr Corrigan’s accidental use of the council card to pay for personal items.

He repaid the money, apologised and was cleared of any wrongdoing by three separate investigations.

Councillor Farry said: “He has accused me of bullying, but those claims were totally unfounded.

“The proper procedure for a member to be accused or found guilty of harassment is via the Standards Board, and I have never been reported to the Standards Board.”

Councillor Garrett said: “All I can say is that I have asked questions in the council chamber on behalf of residents which he did not like.”

Councillor Gibson said: “We have been told his complaints relate to independent members and I’ve been in consultation with a solicitor on the basis it may well be me, yet there have never been any complaints made about any of us as individuals to the council standards committee, which any member of staff or the public could have done.”

Mr Corrigan, who has moved to a new job as town clerk at Fleet Town Council, in Hampshire, declined to comment to The Northern Echo while proceedings are pending.

Council leader Pat McCourt said: “I feel it would be inappropriate to comment while taking legal advice.”