TWO village councillors suspended over alleged breaches of their code of conduct say they are confident of winning their appeal.

The Adjudication Panel for England is to hear appeals lodged by Ian Fawcett and Colin Clark, Liberal Democrat members of West Rainton and Leamiside Parish Council, near Durham City.

They were suspended from being councillors by a panel of Durham County Council’s Standards Committee, which found they had breached the national code of conduct for councillors.

The panel held that they had bullied the council’s clerk and objected to the adjournment of a meeting because the wife of the council’s Labour chairman, Jeff Morland, was seriously ill. She died and the panel found that the pair had questioned the council’s purchase of a floral tribute.

The councillors deny all the allegations and say the way the case has been brought against has breached their human rights.

The Adjudication Panel confirmed an appeal would be held on a date to be fixed and that in the meantime the councillors’ suspension had been "stayed’’, so they continue to act as councillors.

Councillor Clark, who voluntarily stood down as a magistrate pending an investigation by the magistrates advisory committee, said they had not bullied the parish clerk - who later resigned - but had raised points and asked questions when they felt things were wrong.

They did not object to the adjournment of the meeting but had questioned the legality of rescheduling it instead of waiting until the next date earmarked for a monthly meeting.

"The Local Government Act 1972 says that if a meeting is cancelled the business should be carried over to the next scheduled meeting.’’ He added they had merely questioned the legality of a council reimbursing a councillor who had bought a floral tribute after Sandra Morland’s death.

"If we had been asked for a contribution we would given money from our own pockets. If the council buys flowers for one person it has to buy flowers for everyone in the village who dies.’’ Councillor Fawcett said: "We are very confident of winning the appeal . We have the witnesses, the documentation etc to prove that what we are saying is right. ‘’