The mayor of Honiton and two town councillors have been told to apologise for their behaviour during a meeting in October.

An independent investigation by East Devon District Council’s monitoring officer found that the mayor, Cllr John Zarczynski, and Cllrs John Taylor and Jill McNally all breached the code of conduct stating that they should treat others with courtesy and respect.

The monitoring officer found that all three had brought Honiton Town Council into disrepute.

He also found that, during a meeting in April, Cllr Zarczynski breached the code of conduct by disclosing confidential information and also brought the council into disrepute.

During the investigation Cllrs Zarczynski and McNally rejected the allegations against them, and Cllr Taylor said he had been responding to unacceptable behaviour by Cllr Serena Sexton.

Complaints were made about the trio following a heated Honiton Town Council meeting on Monday, October 11. At the previous month’s meeting Cllr McNally had announced that she was resigning and walked out, but she was present at the October meeting. Cllr Sexton asked her whether she had in fact resigned, and pointed out that Cllr McNally had left two other council meetings – behaviour which Cllr Sexton said brought the council into disrepute. An argument developed in which Cllrs McNally, Zarczynski and Taylor all accused Cllr Sexton of bullying. It is alleged that Cllr Zarczynski ‘shouted abuse and was completely out of control’ - which he denies, claiming that Cllr Sexton was trying to intimidate Cllr McNally as part of a ‘clearly pre-orchestrated campaign’.

The monitoring officer’s investigation found that all three councillors had breached the code of conduct on treating others with courtesy and respect. Cllrs Zarczynski and Taylor have been told to apologise to Cllr Sexton, and Cllr McNally must apologise to others at the meeting who are associated with the Honiton Forward movement. Cllrs McNally and Taylor were also found to have spoken disrespectfully to a member of the public at the meeting, and have been told to make a written apology. All three are also required to apologise for their behaviour, during a public meeting of the town council.

Cllr Zarczynski has also been told to apologise for disclosing confidential information about bullying allegations during the April meeting. He denies having done so.