Thornton le Dale: Rowing parish council elects fresh members

Five new councillors at Thornton-le-Dale have been elected to end am ongoing village feud

A North Yorkshire parish council which suspended all activity after a raft of resignations has a elected a fresh group of officials.

Five new members have been selected to sit on Thornton le Dale Parish Council.

The authority was disbanded in July after a "tempestuous" meeting in resulted in a mass walk out.

One of the newly elected councillors, Phil Barratt said he hoped it would mark "fresh start" for the village after the previous "toxic" exchanges.

He added: "We are going to be very much focused on a move towards a positive direction.

"It's reassuring that the folk of the village have got a voice and are prepared to use it and they should hold people accountable."

The July meeting, which was compared to the infamous Handforth Parish Council meeting that made Jackie Weaver a household name, was aborted after eight minutes following an angry exchange over whether a vote to dissolve the council should be honoured.

It led to one member of the public telling the councillors they were being "ridiculous" and asking "why can't you all get along?"

Following the meeting three councillors tendered their resignation and a statement later appeared on the council's website saying: "Until Further Notice - Due to the Parish Council being inquorate, there will be no further meetings of the Council."

But, with the appointment of the five new councillors, North Yorkshire councillor Janet Sanderson, who represents the area, said she believed the future of the parish council was "brighter".

Janet Sanderson is a councillor for North Yorkshire County Council

Meanwhile, North Yorkshire Police has upheld a resident's complaints about election leaflets handed out in the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A police fraud investigator found two breaches of electoral law on the leaflets, including an incorrect address. It is also understood some residents have questioned whether those elected should stand down over the breaches.

Referring to the election leaflet complaint, Mr Barratt added: "It was a genuine mistake.

"It hasn't had any detrimental effect on the proceedings."