THE former leader of BCP Council has failed to deliver the public apology he had been instructed to make for bringing the authority into disrepute.

Cllr Drew Mellor, who resigned last week, arrived late and departed early from the full council meeting where he could have apologised as instructed by the council’s own standards committee.

The same meeting heard another councillor, Duane Farr, apologise for referring to the Daily Echo as “fake news media”.

The standards committee found Cllr Mellor had breached the council’s code of conduct by not being “as transparent as he should have been” over plans to sell the council’s beach huts to a company it would own. He had not passed on information from ministers about a possible change in government guidance.

He was told to apologise to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee for his “discourteous” failure to attend and answer questions – and to say sorry to the full council ”for any misleading statements made in relation to the beach huts scheme”.

Complaints against Cllr Mellor had been submitted by residents, including Alex McKinstry and Steve Tallamy.

Labour councillor George Farquhar tried to put a question to Cllr Mellor at the full council meeting. “Since it is stated that the complaint against Cllr Mellor could not be closed until these apologies have been made, could Cllr Mellor explain in what way he believes he is upholding the Nolan Principles in public life?” he said.

However, Cllr Mellor had left the meeting and new leader Cllr Philip Broadhead said questions could only put to current cabinet members.

“Obviously I cannot answer on behalf of Cllr Mellor. I will take up the question that Cllr Farquhar has raised with him, although I am not in charge of anybody in this chamber. I would, however, respectfully point out this is not the first time that standards committee procedure has not necessarily been followed, although just because Cllr Mellor is not here doesn’t mean it has not been followed,” he said.

Both Cllr Farquhar and Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Vikki Slade were repeatedly interrupted by points of order from cabinet member Cllr Mike Greene as they tried to press the issue.  Cllr Slade's intervention was ruled "inadmissible" by the chair.

The meeting heard the case would be sent back to the standards committee, although there is only one more full council meeting before the May elections at which Cllr Mellor is not standing.

Cllr Duane Farr apologised for referring to the Echo as “fake news media” last November during the debate over a petition calling on Cllr Mellor to resign. The standards committee upheld a complaint by the title’s then-deputy editor Katie Clark.

Cllr Farr said: “In response to the complaint made against me to the standards committee, I’m truly sorry that I caused offence to the deputy editor of the Bournemouth Echo.

“I would like to make it clear that I never intended to do so and would never wish to cause offence to anyone. Having reconsidered the comments I made, I think that I may have responded more harshly than I now think to have been appropriate.”

He added: “It was a passionate speech about how councillors are treated online sometimes.”

Cllr Mellor has been approached for comment.