THIS is the vice chairman of a parish council who is today suspended from duty after an adjudication panel found he breached a code of conduct.William Wrinch has been banned from acting as a Harkstead parish councillor until September 16 after admitting offences of careless driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

THIS is the vice chairman of a parish council who is today suspended from duty after an adjudication panel found he breached a code of conduct.

William Wrinch has been banned from acting as a Harkstead parish councillor until September 16 after admitting offences of careless driving and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The three-month suspension was handed down by The Adjudication Panel for England following an investigation by the Standards Board.

During a hearing at Ipswich's Novotel hotel yesterday , the three-member tribunal found that in committing the offences Cllr Wrinch's behaviour brought his office or authority into disrepute.

The panel said: "A reasonable person with full knowledge of the facts would conclude that this behaviour fell short of that expected of their elected representative and was also contrary to the general principles which govern the conduct of members."

Cllr Wrinch, of Knight's Farm, Harkstead, appeared before Ipswich magistrates on February 19 last year to plead guilty to an offence of careless driving on August 1, 2003.

The magistrates heard that the 48-year-old had been involved in an argument over a parking space in Ipswich's Cromwell Square. They fined him £150 and endorsed his licence with four penalty points.

The dispute over who was first to the park saw him force his Land Rover into the space, damaging the bumper of a car being driven by a couple waiting to park.

Five days after the court appearance, on February 24 last year, the tenant farmer twice punched Peter Britton, of Rence Park, Harkstead, during an argument over access to a track leading to fields he rents.

The dispute erupted when the councillor found Mr Britton's van blocking the track to the fields.

Cllr Wrinch, who had three employees with him, was preparing to tow the van out of the way when Mr Britton emerged from his house and moved it.

Acting for the Standards Board, Ethical Standards Officer Carine Patry told the tribunal when 66-year-old Mr Britton swore at the farmer Cllr Wrinch told him to "come here and say that again".

When Mr Britton moved closer and repeated the "inflammatory language" he was struck twice to the left side of his face, causing bleeding from his ear and cuts to his face.

Cllr Wrinch was given a caution by police after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

During the tribunal hearing Ms Patry said: "From a verbal dispute it became a physical one and that was at the instigation of Mr Wrinch."

Ms Patry said Cllr Wrinch had "seriously failed to uphold the standards expected of him".

Acting for the councillor, Tim Ridyard said Cllr Wrinch accepted he had breached the code of conduct but added the assault followed a long-standing dispute with Mr Britton.

He said: "This was a wholly untypical incident in which Mr Wrinch was involved."

Mr Ridyard argued the careless driving incident had been a low-scale offence and said Cllr Wrinch, who joined Harkstead Parish Council after a by-election in July 2000, was not the only person at fault over the assault.

Mr Ridyard said: "William Wrinch did not set out to assault Mr Britton. He should not have invited Mr Britton to approach him to repeat what he said. "(But) firstly there should not have been the inflammatory language on the part of Mr Britton. Secondly, Mr Britton should not have approached Mr Wrinch."

Speaking on behalf of Cllr Wrinch after the suspension was handed down, Mr Ridyard said: "He feels the panel heard what he had to say and clearly there were a large number of mitigating features in the whole case.

"The suspension was probably as brief as it could be."