A HINDLEY Green councillor has been found guilty of breaching the code of conduct for the third time this month after demanding confidential medical information about a patient.

Independent councillor Robert Brierley failed to attend the hearing last Wednesday, but the panel decided his behaviour was unacceptable and inappropriate and found him guilty of bringing his office and the council into disrepute.

The panel heard Clr Brierley visited the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in the early hours of one Saturday morning and demanded confidential information about the treatment of a patient.

He refused to accept that hospital staff were unable to disclose such information in the absence of consent from the patient’s family. Staff said they felt intimidated by Clr Brierley’s actions and found it necessary to base security guards on the ward throughout the night.

Last week’s hearing is the third of six that are scheduled to take place each week until early November, all involving Clr Brierley, and the decisions on sanctions has been deferred until next month, however local authorities no longer have the power to suspend or disqualify councillors who bully, are rude or disclose confidential information.