A DEBATE on children's centre cuts led to tempers flaring during a council meeting - where a leading Conservative was challenged to "apologise" for the saga.

Councillor Marc Bayliss faced severe criticism from rival politicians over the ongoing shake-up of children's centres, where he was asked to publicly apologise for how it has been handled.

But the County Hall debate developed into a row across the chamber in which Labour councillors were threatened with being reported to the standards committee for their use of language.

At one stage Labour's group leader Cllr Peter McDonald urged Cllr Bayliss to apologise to avoid looking like a "shyster", saying he had "broke promises" and "brought the council into disrepute" in recent months.

At one stage the county council's chairman Cllr Tony Miller had to intervene and ask the opposition to tone down their use of words.

Back in October a £6.4 million fund for 32 council-owned children's centre was slashed to £3 million, with campaigners losing their battle to stop it.

The Conservative leadership has always pledged that no sites will close but 18 are being hit by service reductions, although at many of them talks are still ongoing even now about exactly what is being provided.

But the process has been mired in confusion, with staff at some sites telling parents they are closing.

One site in Malvern called Evergreen is expected to shut in March after a lease ends, although it is not council-run and not part of the 32 subjected to last year's consultation.

During the debate Lib Dem Cllr Fran Oborski called the process "a bit messy" and called for council posters to be placed at each centre informing people what services will be on offer, but Labour politicians laid into Cllr Bayliss.

Cllr Paul Denham called the Tories' arguments "misleading", saying: "We are frequently told children's centres are not closing, we know this is not true."

He also blamed the Tory Government for cutting its grant funding, and local Conservative councillors for exacerbating the situation with spending reductions of their own.

"It's clear that Tories don't care about public services, they just want to pretend services are carrying on as before, but with half the staff," he said.

Cllr Jo Baker, also from the Labour group, said Cllr Bayliss had been "rude and obnoxious" to parents campaigning against the cuts, and telling him to "man up" and apologise.

Cllr McDonald then said: "I don't want to be a shyster, if he doesn't want to be one I suggest he apologises".

Cllr Bayliss told the Labour leader "I won't sink to your level," and suggested the councillors opposite could be reported to the standards committee over it.

"I think more has been said by the members opposite today than would fill a standards committee meeting, but we'll wait and see on that one," he said.

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"There has been no misleading statements, no broken promises, no pledges that haven't been delivered.

"All 32 of our children's centres remain open, delivering services, you know that, I know that."

He said he regretted the cuts and admitted the services were still going through a "period of transition", but defended the process - and told Cllr Baker he took "great exception" to his comments.

He denied being rude to anyone and said all the details about each children's centre was available online and completely up to date, claiming rival Labour politicians did not want to find the truth out.

"Find me one children's centre that we run, that has closed, and I will apologise," he added.

During one section of the debate Labour Cllr Pattie Hill insisted the children's centre at Woodrow First School in Redditch had shut, which Tories said was incorrect after advice from officers.

The council's legal chief then told the chamber he heard her say "officers lie" to herself, asking her if she wanted to withdraw the remark to avoid it staying 'on the record'.

She denied any suggestion she had called the council's officers liars.

A motion calling for him to apologise over the saga was voted out by 27 hands to 20.