A SURGE in complaints over councillors’ online behaviour has sparked calls for a “zero tolerance” crackdown on the issue across Allerdale.

The spike coincided with the aftermath of May’s shock election result, which saw Labour lose control of the council, an all-new executive formed and several Independent first-timers voted in as members.

But it also emerged during the Standards Committee meeting that officers were not only having to keep their own house in order, but have been visiting parish and town councils to offer “mediation” and “support”.

The meeting heard that online disputes could “escalate” so quickly that they could not be resolved at a local level, forcing the borough council’s monitoring officer, Sharon Sewell, to intervene.

This has seen officers attend parish meetings, interview clerks and members in a bid to resolve the issues.

However, a grey area remains over whether a councillor active on social media was making comments in an official capacity or as a private individual, making enforcement action difficult.

Councillors have undertaken several social media training sessions organised by the borough authority as part of a concerted effort to foster a “culture change”.

Lindsay Tomlinson, Electoral Services Manager, stressed that the borough was “not unique” in having to deal with online conduct complaints, with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter becoming increasingly “visible and popular”.

She said that social media could be a very “useful tool if used properly” but also warned that it “can be very dangerous”.

Putting the rise in complaints in context, she said that councils tended to see “a bit of a bump” during the election period but that things “generally tended to settle down” afterwards.

But Independent Councillor Will Wilkinson, who became a councillor for the first time in May, said that his group was continuing to experience problems.

He said: “We have to follow a code of conduct where the general public doesn’t. They sit there and try and goad you because the public are not thick – they also know that we have to abide by a code of conduct so what they are trying to do is to push us to a point when we break it.”

He also revealed that, following social media training, his “biting point” had “improved immeasurably”.

“Whereas previously, I would have snarled like a lion, now I just sit back and smile,” he added.

But Joan Ellis, a Labour councillor and former executive member, called for more robust action to deal with online abuse.

She said: “The derogatory remarks are totally unacceptable, whether it is social media or verbally or written or in whatever format. And I would go as far as to say we should be looking at zero tolerance of such remarks but I do think training and development is so very important – and it should be continuous.”

She said that group leaders should also be subject to the same stringent rules and suggested a more rigorous vetting procedure at the candidate interview stage.

Officers stressed that the “majority” of councillors wished to attain “high standards” of conduct and that training would allow this to become “self-regulating”.

The meeting heard that councillors themselves had an important role to play in “promoting a culture of respect” and “leading by example” to ensure the message filters through to all levels of local government.