Conservative councillor's 'cloak and dagger' probe

South Ribble Tory councillor Barrie Yates, who represents Samlesbury and Walton ward, said allegations had been made against him by a fellow councillor.

But he said he had not been told what the allegations were.

Councillor Yates has now been cleared after the Ribble Valley Conservative Association, of which he is a member, had thrown out the allegations.

Councillor Yates said he believed a fellow councillor made the allegations against him.

Councillor Yates added though that the councillor 'put some allegations against me' to the Ribble Valley Conservative Association.

He said the association met last Wednesday and found all the allegations were "untrue and dismissed".

He said: "I don't know what they were. It was all done cloak and dagger."

Association chairman David Peat said there had been no investigation or inquiry regarding councillor Yates.

He said: "Nobody has been suspended. We have private meetings. We discuss all aspects of things."

Last week three South Ribble Tory councillors were suspended by the local group over a vote on parking charges.

The three have all now been reinstated and one of them, councillor Mary Green, is the new leader of the South Ribble Conservative group.

The action was the latest in a series of complaints about the conduct of South Ribble councillors, including Jim Marsh, 74, over a remark he made on a teenage girl's Facebook page.