A motion by Councillor Mark Croxford to refuse any future meetings with three USU officials and call for written apologies, due to reported behaviour at a meeting with staff and the Mayor earlier in March, was ruled unlawful by the Mayor at last night’s Council Meeting.

In speaking against the motion of dissent then raised by Cllr Croxford, Mayor Reilly said, “I think the behaviour at the meeting was appalling. I wrote to the Union and they responded to me personally and said they will deal with the matter internally.

“They have been held to account and I do not want to revisit this.”

He said it was not for Council to interfere with operational matters.

The motion of dissent was lost 7:2.