A KEIGHLEY town councillor has been kicked off all four of the council committees he sat on for discussing "confidential" council business on social media.

Cllr Samuel Fletcher was removed from the committees with immediate effect following a vote at the latest full town council meeting yesterday evening.

Town mayor Cllr Javaid Akhtar said Cllr Fletcher had been warned before about his behaviour on social media, but had still gone on to breach the council's confidential business protocol and two council standing orders by discussing council employee matters online.

Deputy mayor Cllr Gary Pedley said he had seen the transcripts of Cllr Fletcher's online comments, in which he is alleged to have criticised the appointment of the council's new clerk.

Cllr Pedley argued that he should not only be removed from his chairmanship of the council's Civic Centre committee, but should also lose his seat on all his committees.

Cllr Fletcher, who was present at last week's meeting, (Nov 26) said he knew nothing about any warning given to him concerning his previous conduct.

"I can't comment on it because I don't have what you're talking about here in front of me," he said.

He was defended by Cllr Barbara Archer who said: "Usually there is a disciplinary procedure, but this is a kangaroo court. I'm a bit shocked.

"You can't do this. There is supposed to be freedom of speech."

Cllr Amjad Zaman responded: "There is freedom of speech but there is also confidentiality.

"We've been elected to represent this town and we receive certain information meant to be for our eyes only. It's like your bank statement – you wouldn't go posting that in the Keighley News.

"It's not a kangaroo court. These are rules that everyone has to follow. If we don't follow rules in society there is anarchy."

Supporting the call to remove Cllr Fletcher from his committees, Cllr Barry Thorne said: "I find it appalling that anyone can be attacking staff who haven't got the right to reply. It's absolutely disgraceful."

Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping Cllr Fletcher of his four committee posts. He had been chair of the council's Civic Centre Committee, and had also sat on the Policies and Governance, Finance and Audit, and Allotments and Landscapes committees.

Commenting after the meeting, Cllr Fletcher said: "I accept I'd been in the wrong. But I believe it's hasty and harsh for any councillor to be tried and prosecuted without warning.

"I'd have appreciated being warned that I was going to be be hauled over the coals in the presence of members of the public.

"This would have afforded me the dignity of an opportunity to prepare a response.

"Even better, such a matter should not be discussed in a council meeting at all.

"A council member should be subject to a disciplinary procedure. As it is, Keighley Town Council currently has no internal disciplinary procedure for erroneous councillors since we decided the job could be outsourced to Bradford."