By Ian Duncan

Last updated at 12:39, Thursday, 10 January 2013

A senior district and county councillor could be reported to the Standards Committee after he unleashed a stream of insults at a fellow councillor during a live radio interview.

The heated exchange, during a debate on BBC Radio Cumbria, saw Councillor Ian Stewart’s attack turn personal.

Windermere councillor Ben Berry, who is a member of South Lakeland District Council, was astonished when he was accused of being ‘an accident of birth’ and told to ‘get a life’ twice.

Mr Berry said: “He just went nuts. I couldn’t believe the things he came out with.”

He added that the fact it was on live radio made it worse. He said: “He has gone on live radio and said some pretty insulting things.

“Accident of birth didn’t bother me – but it bothered my mum. Being told to ‘get a life’ is not exactly nice.

“People didn’t listen to what he said because he was ranting. He has potentially brought the authority into disrepute.”

Mr Berry said he was considering making a complaint because, under the code of conduct, councillors are supposed to treat each other with respect.

South Lakeland District Council has been coming under pressure over £100,000 of taxpayer money that looks to have been lost as the company behind K Village in Kendal went into administration.

Mr Stewart was unavailable for comment.

First published at 11:36, Thursday, 10 January 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk