COUNCILLOR Robert Brierley says he intends to take legal action against Wigan Council after claiming it tried to sabotage his bid to be re-elected.

The Hindley Green councillor regained his seat in the recent local government elections despite being found guilty of bringing the council into disrepute seven times in two years.

The 67-year-old claims some members of the council have a personal vendetta against him and says he will be 'pressing charges' after alleging the election banners he placed outside a Hindley Green hair salon were removed and damaged beyond repair by officials on the day of the May 5 vote.

Cllr Brierley, who has given a statement to Greater Manchester Police complaining of 'theft, criminal damage and breaches of the Representation of the People Act and Misconduct in Public Office' in relation to the election banners, said: “The slanderous remarks and personal vendettas by certain members of the council is out of control.

“The owner of the shop where my banners were had allowed me to put them there. I have a signed statement to that effect so I don’t understand why they had to be removed.

“It’s disgusting that they were damaged beyond repair when I got them returned to me.

“I feel that this was to sabotage me and my election chances. I’m just glad the people of Hindley Green paid no notice.

“I will be using all the legal means at my disposal because of this nastiness so that it doesn't happen to anyone else. They had no right to remove them and I will be pressing charges.”

Under town and country planning regulations, election candidates should get permission from the owner of a site to place banners there.

Local authorities also exercise tight regulations with displays on lampposts, open spaces and public highway verges.

A council spokesman said: “We received several complaints from the public that Cllr Brierley was breaching election rules by displaying his posters in the vicinity of the polling station.

“When they were removed from the public highway he just replaced them.

“Eventually the returning officer and police reasoned with him and he removed them."

Cllr Brierley was found guilty of 'completely unacceptable' abusive and bullying behaviour in an investigation costing taxpayers approximately £9,000 in March.

A hearing found that he had breached the council’s code of conduct and brought his office and the council into disrepute after being accused of swearing at a public meeting, something that Cllr Brierley denies.

Cllr Brierley is unhappy with council advertisements and statements that were made public prior to the election in regards to that hearing.