A COUNCILLOR has been suspended for a month after pornography was found on her work laptop computer.

Sunderland City Council's standards committee yesterday accepted that Councillor Aileen Handy had not been aware of the images. But they found her in breach of the authority's code of conduct for not taking due care to ensure that her password was not disclosed.

An investigation found that Coun Handy had used the laptop to access the Internet on two occasions for purposes other than council business.

One occasion was to check for information about an artist and another was to look for property for a relative. She had also allowed a relative to use the laptop to write letters.

The committee decided the suspension could end once Coun Handy received additional training.

A hearing will also be held today into the discovery of pornographic material on the council laptop computer of Coun Thomas Wright.

A report from the ethical standards officer accepted that he did not use the laptop for personal use. However, he allowed his family to use it. It has been accepted that he did not know about the images.