A COUNCILLOR who faces disciplinary action is being given a last chance to explain his actions during the Accrington Arndale Centre sell-off.

Labour councillor Dave Massey has been accused of misconduct and is to be asked to appear before a meeting of regional party officers, constituency officers and group whips within the next fortnight.

The Church councillor faced whips on Monday night following allegations from a number of Labour colleagues.

But he left because one of the councillors making a complaint against him was absent.

Coun Massey said he had been told second-hand after the meeting that the whip had been withrawn from him for three months. But chief whip Coun Bill Goldsmith said no decision on disciplinary action had been made and accused Coun Massey of "silly stalling tactics."

Coun Massey has been accused of tape-recording a meeting about the controversial sell-off of the council's freehold interest in the Arndale Centre and taking confidential documents away from the same meeting.

Coun Massey said: "My conscience is clear. I still maintain I have done nothing wrong and broken no rules."

He said he had taken the documents away for an independent appraisal as a business proposition but no names or specifics were mentioned which would have breached confidentiality.

Coun Goldsmith said: "All we wanted to ascertain was the reason he behaved in such an unprofessional manner. "We were there ready to listen. He said he wanted all his accusors there and stormed out.

"We could have made a decision but decided in the interests of justice and his interests to give him another chance to give account of his actions."

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