ACCUSATIONS that he courts publicity and sees plots where non exist, were levelled at the leader of the opposition Labour group on Bromsgrove District Council this week. Making the claim was council leader Cllr Nick Psirides (Con, Norton).

He responded angrily after Cllr Peter McDonald accused him of instructing an officer to send out wrong information on a consultation document and of tampering with a recording made of the meeting at which the decision was taken.

Cllr McDonald has asked the matters be discussed at the next meeting of the council's standards committee.

He claims that following a meeting on August 30 to discuss ward boundary changes, Cllr Psirides instructed an officer to alter the committee's decision regarding Charford when it was sent out for consultation.

Cllr McDonald claims it could lead to the Labour vote there being "watered down."

When he later checked audio tapes of the meeting he said his comments had been "erased" by means of a switch, recently installed into the system, that can be operated by the chairman.

Cllr Psirides strenuously denied tape fixing or that a blanking device had been added to the sound system in the council chamber.

"The blanks occurred when Cllr McDonald forgot to switch his microphone on, as he frequently does," he said.

Referring to the decision query Cllr Psirides said: "The committee was confused towards the end of a long meeting and the officer had to attempt to interpret the committee's decision the following day as he thought best.

"The only thing that matters to Cllr McDonald is publicity, irrespective of the facts.

"His skill at seeing plots and subterfuge in council business never ceases to amaze me.

"If, as he claims, I have interfered with committee decisions or erased members' contributions from tapes, why has he not gone to the police?