Councillor cleared over meeting 'wrestling match'

Darlington independent councillor Colin Pease was cleared of misconduct

A councillor has been cleared of misconduct after a fight at a parish council meeting which was compared to a "wrestling match".

Colin Pease, who sits on Darlington Borough Council, and parish councillor David Darling were involved in a "physical altercation" in May 2024 at a community centre in Middleton St George.

The borough council's standards committee said Pease's breach was "at the lowest end of the scale" and cleared him of misconduct over the fracas.

Councillors determined Darling's "aggressive behaviour" led to the disorder and suggested Middleton St George Parish Council pass a formal motion of censorship against him. Darling has denied instigating the fight.

Pease, an independent councillor for the Sadberge and Middleton St George ward, was said to have been left with "scratches and blood on his face", and his "glasses were broken" during the incident.

The fight started after Darling, chairman and treasurer of the local community centre, launched a tirade of confrontational questions towards Pease, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The borough councillor responded by pointing his finger and calling Darling "a prat".

'Rugby-type tackle'

In an audio recording, played to committee members at a hearing on Thursday, shocked onlookers could be repeatedly heard shouting "stop".

A report of the incident read: "Councillor Darling quickly stood up and shut the door with force, meaning that councillor Pease could not leave.

"Both parties were then engaged in a physical altercation."

Witnesses compared the chaos to a "wrestling match", involving punches and "a rugby-type tackle".

The fight happened at a meeting in May at a community centre in Middleton St George

At the hearing, Pease admitted he had technically breached the council's code of conduct but defended his actions.

"Yes, I called him a prat," he said. "Yes, I pointed a finger at him. But how much abuse do you have to take before you respond?"

'Lack of respect'

Darling, who did not attend the hearing, has maintained Pease "punched him first".

Councillor Matthew Snedker, standards committee chair, said: "We found that the aggressive behaviour was an instigator of a chain of events that led to this hearing of members' misconduct.

"Throughout the meeting, councillor Darling showed a lack of respect for others and he brought the parish council into disrepute.

"We found that his behaviour was not consistent with someone holding public office."

Members also recommended that Darling be removed from any outside committees where he was a representative, if applicable.