COUNCILLORS have unanimously agreed new conduct arrangements after its standards committee was labelled as a “kangaroo court”.

The changes were supported by all parties at a meeting of the full council on Tuesday.

They include a revised members’ code of conduct, terms of reference for a standards committee to replace the existing conduct committee together with a town and parish councils standards sub-committee.

There will also be a bigger role for the council’s monitoring officer and roles for three independent people.

Council chairman Neil Stock said: “We as members now have to make this work. We must have the willingness to make sure it does work.”

Council leader and Conservative group leader Peter Halliday added: “I promise that if anyone in my group makes a perverse decision against the monitoring officer I will have them removed from the Conduct Committee.”