A PROMINENT Newquay councillor was reprimanded after stating he was going to punch a council officer.

Town councillor Gary Redman was hauled before Cornwall Council's standards committee on Thursday, accused of breaking the councillors' code of conduct – the third time in the past eight months.

He admitted to saying he was going to punch monitoring officer Stephen Foster – a statement he made to council officer Diane Williams, in March last year at the Restormel Borough Council offices in St Austell.

Less than a week before Cllr Redman also claimed, at Newquay Town Council, Mr Foster "makes things up as he goes along".

At the standards meeting on Thursday, held at the council chamber in St Austell, Mr Redman admitted to saying 'something like' the words quoted.

"I can't remember my exact wording regarding the punch statement, but I do agree it was inappropriate," he said.

"As far as I'm aware it was something I was thinking and should have kept to myself.

"At the time I was under another investigation by the standards board and it was my frustration and stress talking."

The standards committee - made up of Rik Evans, Keltie Seaber and Colin Brewer, on Wednesday decided the allegations that Mr Redman had breached section 3.1 – 'you must treat others with respect' – had not been broken.

But sections 3.2b and 3.2c, which refer to bullying and intimidation, were investigated by the standards board.

Simon Mansell, from Cornwall Council said: "Due to Mr Redman's experience as a councillor, he could have gone down other avenues, like speaking to another council officer or the chief executive, to air his opinions about Mr Foster."

However, despite Cllr Redman's admission, the board found that section 3.2b, regarding bullying, could not be established and that section 3.2c was not broken, with Mr Evans stating: "The comments were inappropriate but not a breach."

They stated that Mr Redman must undergo one to one training on the Code of Conduct, which has to be arranged within six weeks.

He also has to write a letter of apology to Diane Williams and Stephen Foster which is to be approved by Rik Evans.

Elected to Newquay Town Council in 1999, Cllr Redman was also elected to Restormel Borough Council in 2003.

Cllr Redman was also found guilty at a standards hearing last year for allegedly offering to charge a group of residents £400 to represent them at a licensing hearing. He was cleared, after appealing the decision, last month.