SOUTH Hams councillor Julian Brazil has been found guilty of bullying a council officer and breaching the national code of conduct.

Members of a standards board met at Follaton House to debate accusations that Coun Brazil was aggressive and threatening last June towards benefits fraud investigators attending Frogmore Bakery in Kingsbridge.

Coun Brazil is a South Hams and Devon county councillor, as well as the Liberal Democrat prospective candidate for the Totnes seat at the next general election. He has always denied the claims.

Coun Brazil had been called in to help bakery owner Godfrey Roberts, who was concerned about questions asked by the investigators about someone he had employed.

South Hams Council investigator Chris Butterfield and Department of Work and Pensions investigator Jess Hefford met Mr Roberts and Coun Brazil at the bakery and asked Mr Roberts to hand over employment records.

After the meeting, investigators claimed they received unpleasant verbal assaults from Coun Brazil, who overstepped the lines of acceptable conduct, amounting to bullying.

He said he agreed with the standards board at a seven-hour hearing last February that findings of this investigation would be deferred until June 16, after the county council elections on June 4, when his solicitor would be available.

However, the board felt it would not be appropriate to delay any outcome for another month, as the public might consider such action biased in Coun Brazil's favour.

Michael Winterton, independent chairman of the standards board, said in his report: "Having a stand-up row in the middle of a shop with a member of the council's staff, with the public present, can hardly be said to be behaving in a reputable way.

"The committee unanimously finds that Coun Brazil was acting as a councillor – a fact he accepts – in connection with this incident and that he breached the provisions of the code."

Coun Brazil refuted the findings, saying: "I am disgusted with the behaviour of the standards board and South Hams District Council.

"I do not represent the council – I represent local people and local communities. I refuse to be gagged or diverted from doing my job properly."