Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston faces bullying investigation

Andy Preston called the investigation "mudslinging"

An elected mayor is facing an external investigation into allegations he bullied council staff and members.

Five councillors quit Middlesbrough mayor Andy Preston's executive in May.

In a letter to the mayor at the time, they said they could no longer support him to due his "consistent poor conduct and behaviour".

Mr Preston, who is politically independent, dismissed the probe as a "mudslinging campaign" and the "latest in a long line of dirty tricks".

He said he had faced "lies, leaks, anonymous letters, attempted blackmail, being reported to the police, bizarre and sometimes hurtful allegations without foundation or truth, needless, expensive and distracting investigations".

'Completely untrue'

A statement on the Middlesbrough Independent Group's Facebook page said it hoped the investigation would give "some comfort to the people of Middlesbrough that appropriate and professional processes" are supported by former executive members.

It is signed by four of the five executive members who quit - Chris Hobson, Dorothy Davison, Dennis McCabe and former deputy mayor Antony High.

The fifth, Ashley Waters, is no longer a councillor after resigning at the end of last year.

In a letter to Mr Preston in May, they said it was "collectively agreed that we can no longer support you… due to your consistent poor conduct and behaviour".

Mr Preston said the claims in the letter were "completely untrue".

An email from Middlesbrough Council's head of legal services Charlotte Benjamin, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, confirms an investigation by solicitors Bevan Brittan is now taking place.