by KATE HUGHES

A PARISH councillor will face a tribunal for not declaring details about her employment and could be banned from sitting as a councillor for five years.

But Councillor Linda Wood, of Belbroughton Parish Council, is advised not to reveal her job in her employment contract.

Cllr Wood failed to complete the parish council's Register of Members' Interests by entering 'confidential' in the employment sections.

This is the second case of a Belbroughton parish councillor failing to sign the register. Cllr Paul Shotton also failed to declare details about his employment.

Both Cllr Wood and Cllr Shotton are civil servants.

These cases are believed to be the first of their kind in the Bromsgrove area.

Pat Edwards, who runs the Worcestershire County Association of Local Councils (CALC), said: "These situations will test the system and councils will be awaiting the result, which will set a precedent. It's just a shame that individuals have to go through the tribunal process."

Last year it became compulsory for councillors to declare their land and property interests, organisations they belong to, gifts over £25, where they work and the name of their employer.

Bromsgrove's standards committee will hear that the matter will be referred to a tribunal, at a meeting tomorrow.

Chairman of Belbroughton Parish Council, Tim Cherry, said: "As a council, we completely support Linda and Paul. They are both in very difficult situations."

Cllr Wood and Cllr Shotton were unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.