A FORMER Darlington mayor who was accused of waging a personal vendetta against a neighbour has been cleared of wrongdoing.

Councillor Bill Stenson, Conservative member for Mowden, was accused by a female neighbour of using his position improperly to get council officers to check on building work at her property.

She said he was responsible for three visits by officers in March, April and November 2002, after she installed security lights on the side of her property.

The woman, who has not been named, also said Coun Stenson had brought his office or authority into disrepute by refusing to remove planks of wood placed against a boundary wall between their properties.

The complaint was investigated by the Standards Board of England, which considers whether councillors have breached a national code of conduct.

The visits in March and April 2002 took place before Darlington Borough Council adopted the code on May 1, 2002, so there could not have been a failure to comply with it.

The board's ethical standards officer found no evidence that Coun Stenson, of Coniscliffe Road, had influenced the November 2002 visit.

The council officer concerned said he dealt with a complaint about the woman's property in a normal manner and was not put under any pressure by Coun Stenson or senior officers.

Regarding the planks of wood, the ethical standards officer considered that the neighbour had never asked Coun Stenson to remove them, and that leaning planks against a boundary wall was not conduct that could bring a councillor's office into disrepute.

A report from the board, which will be given to Darlington council's standards committee tomorrow, said: "The complainant alleged that Coun Stenson breached the code of conduct by using council officers to wage a personal vendetta against one of his neighbours.

"The ethical standards officer found no evidence of any failure to comply with the code of conduct."

Coun Stenson told The Northern Echo he was relieved that the matter had ended.

He said: "Since 1965, I have served the people of Darlington as a councillor. I have done so with honour, integrity and pride.

"I have been totally vindicated by this report, which has found me blameless."