A FORMER council leader has alleged that a "secret society" has barred his appointment to some committees.

Phil Hughes, a non-aligned member of Teesdale District Council, said he believed seven other non-aligned members conspired to ensure he was not voted on to any of the council's policy committees.

At the council's annual meeting yesterday, Coun Hughes learned he had not been invited to a meeting of non-aligned members to discuss nominations for the committees, and his name had only been put forward as a reserve member for the planning committee.

Although other councillors nominated him for other committees at the meeting, he was only voted on to the less prestigious overview and scrutiny committee and the standards committee.

Coun Hughes was briefly elected leader of Teesdale District Council last year, but resigned four months later, citing a lack of support from other members as the reason.

The council has been criticised in a Government report for its lack of leadership, and yesterday it reaffirmed its decision not to have a leader and instead handed more power to the council's corporate strategy group, made up of eight councillors.

Coun Hughes told yesterday's meeting: "It would seem by the voting that the non-aligned members voted with the Labour group. It is almost like a secret society, or a cabal.

"The same people who have been criticised are still in charge."

However, another non-aligned council member, Councillor John Armstrong, said that he believed Coun Hughes simply wanted more power.

Coun Armstrong said: "As far as I'm concerned he's still a member of the Teesdale independent party and this has all been a ploy to get an extra seat and control of the corporate strategy group."

At the annual meeting, Councillor Robin Simpson was elected chairman of the council and Councillor Madeleine Walton was elected deputy chairwoman.