Keighley Town Council has achieved many good things for local people despite its mistakes, according to the town's new mayor.

Addressing members of the council at its latest full meeting, Councillor Graham Mitchell urged his colleagues to have pride in their council, and to be confident that it can achieve even more in future.

"This council has made mistakes, as have all organisations which are run by fallible human beings — think of the Co-op Bank, the Metropolitan Police, even the Members of the Coalition Government," he said.

Coun Mitchell, who is beginning his second term as town mayor, also asked councillors to treat both each other and council staff with respect.

"There have been far too many personal attacks made in this chamber, and I do not divorce myself from that criticism," he said.

"Not all of you will agree with all the decisions which I will make, but I will have order in this chamber and I will have respect for the chair.

"If I deem your behaviour to be irregular or improper, I will use standing order 10 to enable council to bring you to order. So please do not treat me like a new teacher whom you need to test."

Coun Mitchell advised councillors to resist the temptation to become embroiled in council-related disputes on social networking websites.

"It may ease your personal frustrations, but it is seldom helpful to the proper communication of council business," he warned.

"It has been said that fools click ‘send’ while wise men save as ‘draft’.

"We've all heard it said on the streets, 'why are you always falling out?' To which I've always replied, if you invited 30 members of your family and friends round to your house for an evening, would you all agree on everything? To which the usual reply is, 'not in our family you wouldn’t!'

"Of course we are not going to agree on everything, and in a democracy, that is healthy, but once the debate is finished, and the vote is taken, then that becomes council policy, which is the basis on which the council goes forward."

He added that councillors should look to advance with a common purpose for the good of Keighley, and that their electors expect them to play a full part in council business by volunteering to serve on its committees.