BOURNEMOUTH Conservatives’ troubles deepened yesterday with the confirmation that their leader will face a potentially embarrassing public hearing over computer porn allegations.

A private meeting of the Standards Committee decided that Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin, leader of Bournemouth council and of the Tory group, potentially breached the council’s code of conduct when his council computer was used to access top-shelf material.

Their decision comes as angry councillors react to the news that the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) has taken the unusual step of suspending Bournemouth councillor Douglas Spencer from the party.

Cllr Spencer is the fourth Tory councillor under investigation, although the party will not confirm the nature of the allegations made against him.

Fellow Conservative Cllr Peter Charon yesterday announced he and his wife would be transferring their membership from Bournemouth West to Bournemouth East.

He said this followed a recent house move but admitted the current problems in Bournemouth made it “a very good time” to make the switch.

“To have four current members under investigation at the same time cannot be good for the council’s reputation,” he said.

“Collectively, from the public’s point of view, it cannot do anything but lower the reputation of the council and our group.”

And another Conservative councillor, Ian Lancashire, said: “It has got to the stage where it is almost embarrassing to be a councillor.

“The vast majority of us are there for the right reasons and doing a good job but the public perception is that we are all tainted.”

Cllr Spencer, who represents Winton East, is the second Tory councillor in two weeks to become the subject of a CCHQ investigation.

Westbourne and West Cliff Cllr Richard Powell suspended himself from the party after admitting forwarding racist text messages from his personal phone.

Tanya Coulter, deputy monitoring officer, said: “The consideration sub committee met today to consider the investigator’s report. “It decided that the matter should be considered at a hearing. “This hearing will take place on a date to be arranged, which is likely to be mid-August 2010.”