A County Durham councillor accused of bullying and harassing staff has been cleared of misconduct.
Paul Sexton, Reform member for Chester-le-Street South, faced four allegations relating to his conduct in 2023 when he was an Independent councillor.
One complaint relating to Cllr Sexton raised concerns about his “alleged ill treatment of staff and bullying and harassment of council officers”.
A Durham County Council Standards Hearing Panel was held in private to consider the allegations.
The four complaints were set out in a report previously presented to the committee, which added: “The complaint also details concerns about your alleged use of social media and the press to unfairly criticise officers and make inaccurate and inflammatory statements about the council, officers of the council and the council’s Area Action Partnerships.”
Another complaint related to comments made by Cllrs Sexton and Bill Moist, Independent member for Chester-le-Street South, in an article published in March 2023. In it, non-elected council officials were criticised for allegedly preventing much-needed investment in town centres and communities. Durham County Council denied the claims.
A further two complaints also alleged Cllr Sexton had failed to treat council officers with respect, and was accused of distributing information in an attempt to discredit the complainant.
Cllr Sexton was contacted for comment but did not respond.
He defected to Reform UK in May 2025 following the party’s success in the local elections when it took overall control of Durham County Council and is a member of the Standards Committee.
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Changes to Durham County Council’s code of conduct complaints procedure were approved by the Reform administration in 2025 despite criticism from political rivals.
A new politically-balanced Standards Assessment Board will be formed to consider complaints, revising the roles of the council’s monitoring officer and Independent Person, who assess and review complaints. Reform said the changes will create “a fairer, more transparent, and more accountable system”.
But critics accused the party of a “dictatorship” in County Durham and labelled the changes “disgraceful”.
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