Mayor facing resignation calls over land sale bullying claims

Roy Bickerton was suspended from Wakefield Council earlier this month after a local government watchdog ruled that he was guilty of misconduct in office. Although suspended from Wakefield Council he remains a member of Featherstone Town Council and is the town's mayor.

Coun Bicketon denied the bullying claims and is continuing to protest his innocence.

Now five Labour town councillors in Featherstone are calling on him to resign as mayor.

They have tabled a 'no confidence' resolution to be voted on in public at the next full meeting of the town council, on February 24. The resolution calls on Coun Bickerton to "do the honourable thing and resign his position of mayor", saying that by continuing in his role of mayor he is "bringing our town and the office of mayor into disrepute".

In a statement, Labour town councillor Margaret Isherwood said: "I, along with my Labour Party colleagues on Featherstone Town Council, are appalled that after all that has been reported in the papers over the past few weeks regarding Coun Roy Bickerton, he still remains as mayor of Featherstone.

"He has been found guilty of bullying two Featherstone residents yet appears to show no remorse.

"Unfortunately the town council is unable to suspend him, this can only be done by the Standards Board of England and Wales, but we feel that by remaining in post he is bringing the town of Featherstone and the office of mayor into disrepute.

"We feel that this is not fair on the town or its citizens and therefore we have put a resolution forward to the next town council meeting asking for a vote of no confidence in Coun Roy Bickerton as mayor of Featherstone and asking that he stands down."

Coun Bickerton could not be contacted for comment but has denied claims that he bullied the couple.

The resolution calling for him to stand down has been signed by Labour councillors Clive Tennant, Margaret Isherwood, Bill Mulroe, Maureen Tennant-King and John Wright.

Local Labour MP Jon Trickett has backed calls for Coun Bickerton to stand down.

Mr Trickett said: "Very many people have been in touch with my office to say that they don't want Featherstone's good name to be damaged.

"It is not my style to criticise people personally but reluctantly I have come to the view that the best way is to make a fresh start with a new mayor."

Coun Bickerton was suspended from Wakefield Council after an investigation by the Adjudication Panel for England, a watchdog body.

The tribunal panel heard from Featherstone couple Anthony and Jacqueline Green, who owned land behind their fireplace shop, Mode-Tex, and were considering selling it to supermarket Lidl when Coun Bickerton approached them in 2007.

They claimed the councillor threatened the land would be compulsorily purchased if they did not sell it to Netto.

Councillor Bickerton denied the allegations, saying he did not care which supermarket was to open.

The panel ruled he had breached local government rules by bullying Mr and Mrs Green. It said he had brought his office and Wakefield Council into disrepute in his contacts with the Greens and Lidl and Netto.

The tribunal urged Wakefield Council to ensure that no one is allowed to sit on the planning committee without appropriate training.

Members of Wakefield Council's Standards Committee will discuss Councillor Bickerton's case at a meeting on January 28.