A row over an election hopeful being ejected from Silsden Town Council in April is continuing.

District councillors Andrew Mallinson and Michael Kelly have decided to boycott meetings of Silsden Town Council over the issue.

The pair, who represent Craven ward on Bradford Council, claim chairman Chris Atkinson’s actions were an affront to democracy. The row blew up when Andrew Rowley, a Craven ward candidate in the Bradford Council elections, arrived for a town council meeting.

Coun Atkinson allegedly told Mr Rowley he could not attend the meeting, which was open to the public, because he was not on the electoral roll for Silsden.

Coun Atkinson has since said he simply asked Mr Rowley not to attend the meeting, and Mr Rowley agreed and left the building. Mr Rowley subsequently lost the election to sitting councillor Adrian Naylor, who is also a town council member.

Mr Rowley is a Conservative Party member, as are district councillors, Mallinson and Kelly, who often attend parish and town councils in their ward as observers.

But Coun Mallinson says the pair will stay away due to the actions of the town council, which he said had not apologised to Mr Rowley.

He said: “In our eyes as ward councillors they are not acting as a democracy. It makes it impossible for us to work with them.”

Coun Atkinson this week told the Keighley News that the incident with Mr Rowley had “nothing whatsoever” to do with Couns Mallinson and Kelly.