TWO Leyburn residents face being branded as "unreasonably persistent complainers" and may be told to stick to council procedures in future.

Leaders of the four political groups on Richmondshire District Council have put a special motion to next week's full council meeting.

Couns Paul Cullen, Richard Dunn, John Harris and Yvonne Peacock want the two people to be designated as unreasonably persistent complainers.

This means correspondence relating to previous complaints from them that has already been dealt with will not be acknowledged or responded to by the authority.

New complaints and issues would be dealt with strictly under council procedures, otherwise the two must go straight to the local government ombudsman.

A separate motion from Coun Rob Johnson seeks to officially condemn "wasteful" use of council resources to investigate "frivolous and/or vexatious allegations."

The public part of the agenda for the meeting on Tuesday excludes the names of the two residents and councillors would not reveal their identities.

Bernard Borman and his wife, Sarah, of Leyburn, who have lodged a number of complaints against the council over the last decade, say the motions do not refer to them.

Mr Borman said: "I made a public agreement with the leader of the council, Coun John Blackie, to co-operate with the council in November last year. I have stuck to this agreement and I have not lodged any complaints."