COUNCILLORS in Darlington attended nearly 600 training sessions between them last year.

A report will be made to the standards committee next Monday about the number of sessions attended by each councillor in 2009.

Councillors are required to attend a minimum of five sessions per year, with a number of courses mandatory during a two-year period.

Of the mandatory courses, only two councillors are yet to attend each of the corporate parenting and safeguarding adults courses. The report added sessions will be arranged for those members.

There are no statutory sanctions available for members who do not attend the required number of sessions.

Only Alex Nicholson had attended fewer than the mandatory five sessions, making four between July and December.

She told The Northern Echo that she had attended all those courses that were relevant to her positions, that she had attended more courses during her first two years as a councillor and that it was harder for her to make some of the courses because of work-time.

Previous figures showed she attended 11 courses in 2008 and eight in 2007, which applied to only the second half of the year.

A further four councillors attended the minimum of five sessions, with five attending more than 20.

The standards meeting takes place on Monday, January 18.