A MAVERICK Preston councillor is to be hauled before a sub-committee today (Thursday, July 13) on charges of leaking confidential council information to a local newspaper.

Coun Mick Moulding faces the prospect of being thrown off all committees and, if his colleagues find he has a case to answer, will be the first councillor to go before the council's standards committee.

The unprecedented move comes after it was alleged that Coun Moulding leaked confidential council information to a local weekly newspaper -- a move strongly denied by the Moor Park representative.

Now, he has refused to co-operate with the watchdog committee -- which is made up of three Labour councillors, two Conservatives, one Liberal Democrat and an independent chairman -- slamming it as a "kangaroo court".

Coun Moulding stormed: "My view is this. Firstly, the council have set up this kangaroo court because they are not following the correct procedure laid down to tackle such problems as this. "I am adamant that I'm not going to co-operate with the sub-committee and basically, I'm not providing any evidence.

"That's not to suggest I'm guilty -- I have done nothing wrong. I'm quite confident that I will be exonerated."

Coun Moulding added: "This is just mischief-making on behalf of the Labour and Conservative groups because they are not happy with my approach in council meetings and my approach to questioning decision-making."

Ian Hall, Labour leader of the council, said that if there was any impropriety concerning the allegations, then the matter would be transferred to the standards committee.

Mr Hall stressed: "At this moment in time, no formal allegations have been made. All the committee will be looking at is the circumstances surrounding the matter.

"Just because Mr Moulding was quoted in the newspaper article concerned, does not mean he was at the centre of the leak."