ADVICE on tackling online trolls will be given to councillors across County Durham as part of a new social media drive.

Durham County Council will circulate guidelines to parish, town and county councillors about their use of social media including tips on sharing or retweeting comments online and dealing with online trolls.

The move aims to help tackle the number of code of conduct complaints by reminding councillors of their public duties in online spaces.

Guidelines drawn up earlier this year asked councillors not to share confidential information and to remove defamatory or offensive comments from their own sites– the advice on trolls was added after consultation.

A report, which went before the standards committee this month, reads: “Be aware that ‘trolling’ posts can be intended to bounce you into an unwise response to be used against you and always consider whether anything you write may be interpreted in a way you do not intend.

“If ‘trolling’ becomes unacceptably harassing then report it to the police and seek advice from , as appropriate, member support or your parish clerk.”

Other advice included caution around ‘friend requests’ online and the use of social media on council equipment for electioneering purposes.

Members heard the guidance would be made available to the public with training sessions rolled out for councillors.

Councillor Joan Nicholson raised concerns about councillors failing to attend sessions and using it as a defence for breaching the code of conduct.

Cllr Nicholson said: “If you don’t come (to the training) then your argument could be I didn’t know about it.”

Cllr Terry Batson said councillors should resign from their roles if they fail to attend councillor training sessions.

Solicitor to the committee, Laura Renaudon, said taking action against councillors who failed to attend training was not enforceable.

“To say ‘I don’t know the rules’ isn’t any kind of defence,” she added.

“To not go to the training could colour our view of what you have done. A member who has went to the training would be viewed more benevolently than someone who hasn’t.”

Coun Jim Atkinson added: “When you write a sentence who knows where it’s going to end up.

“People need to be aware that we have to be careful.

“I don’t think you can do much more than that unless you sit next to them every day.”

Members agreed to adopt the document as guidance rather than a formal policy.