A COUNCILLOR has defended his actions after causing panic during a council meeting when he waved around what he claimed was a chunk of asbestos.

Independent councillor John Marshall produced a piece of slate from a bag during the meeting at the Civic Centre in Hartlepool, last Friday.

He told the shocked gathering of 35 council members that he was holding a piece of asbestos.

Following the incident, Hartlepool Borough Council called in experts to carry out a sweep of the committee room to check for traces of the potentially deadly substance.

Coun Marshall said last night he was trying to make councillors aware of the dangers to residents in his ward posed by asbestos in a disused council building.

He said he had not bothered to tell officials it was only a piece of slate, because he had wanted to scare them.

Coun Marshall said: "If you are ignored, then you have to go to extraordinary lengths sometimes to get listened to. I felt there was something wrong going on, and I wanted people to sit up and take notice."

He said he was angry that the council was offering top officials huge salary increases, but had not taken action to demolish the building, on Hartlepool's Headland.

He admitted the stunt had caused some members present to "completely lose it".

Coun Marshall was condemned by other councillors.

Fellow independent councillor Stan Kaiser, who was chairing the meeting of the scrutiny co-ordinating committee, said: "This was totally irresponsible and reckless.

"It incurred additional costs to inspect and clean the room but it might well have put councillors at risk."

Officials from Unison also criticised the councillor and called for disciplinary action to be taken against him.