A COUNCILLOR is pushing for the release of a report into alleged bullying at Ryedale District Council.

At a meeting of full council on Thursday, Independent Cllr Robert Wainwright asked Cllr John Clark, chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee which produced the report, what progress had been made in the investigation.

Cllr Wainwright said: “Almost a year ago now this council agreed to support this investigation. We still don’t know whether there was any bullying at this council or whether there wasn’t any bullying.

"Is it not time that we had a report that was available to us so that we can either reprimand those that have been proven guilty, if that’s what we may do, or we can offer an unreserved apology to those if there wasn’t any bullying proved at this council?”

Cllr Clark said that his committee is still at the stage of looking at the report and deciding what action to take.

“I wish this whole issue was as simple as you would like it to be,” he said to Cllr Wainwright. “How we deal with it is just about as big a problem as finding out if we have it. I think you’ve got to decide how to handle it properly.”

The report into alleged bullying was approved by full council at a meeting in July 2017. A £10,000 budget was given to the committee to aid its investigation.