A STANDARDS committee has recommended that a councillor who who slapped a man outside Clacton Pier at last year’s airshow is removed from council committees for a month.

Ukip councillor Lis Bennison, who represents the Peter Bruff ward, denied assault by beating at a trial at Southend Magistrates’ Court in July.

She assaulted former security officer Anthony Chandler, 37, on August 25 last year when he drove down Pier Gap and stopped to drop his children off to watch the airshow.

He claimed Mrs Bennison shouted at him for driving into a pedestrian area and said she slapped him across the right side of his face after he told her to move away from his vehicle.

The defence claimed dad-of-three Mr Chandler had used abusive language towards the councillor and punched her – accusations he denied.

Mrs Bennison was found guilty of assault, but was handed an absolute discharge – the lowest-level sentence.

Mr Chandler complained to Tendring Council that Mrs Bennison’s behaviour had breaches the councillors’ code of conduct, following which a standards investigation was launched.

The council’s monitoring officer felt it was unnecessary to carry out a detailed investigation due to the conviction but the matter was referred to the standards committee.

The committee was told Mrs Bennison made a written apology but did not accept any breach of the code. She did not attend the standards committee meeting.

The committee ruled she had breached the council's code of conduct.

Clarissa Gosling, who was consulted over the issue, said: “From the papers I have read, I do not believe it was necessary to use physical violent action in response to the bad language and ‘dangerous driving behaviour’ Councillor Bennison reported.

“I am sorry that her apology did not acknowledge this crucial point, even in retrospect, and in my view this lack of regret about her actions reflects badly upon her.”

The committee called on Mrs Bennison’s group leader to acknowledge her breach and remove her from committees and sub-committees for one month.

She is also to receive training with the council’s monitoring officer on the code of conduct.

Mrs Bennison said: "I wish to put on record my sincere apologies for any embarrassment caused to Tendring Council or grievance to the people of Clacton resulting from my conviction for an assault."