A KEIGHLEY town councillor has been kicked off all four of the council committees he sat on for discussing "confidential" council business on social media.

Councillor Samuel Fletcher was removed from the committees with immediate effect following a vote at last night's full council meeting.

Town Mayor, Councillor Javaid Akhtar, said Cllr Fletcher had been warned before about his behaviour on social media, but had still gone on to breach the council's confidential business protocol and two council standing orders by discussing council employee matters online.

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Gary Pedley, said he had seen the transcripts of Cllr Fletcher's online comments, in which he is alleged to have criticised the appointment of the council's new clerk.

Cllr Pedley argued that he should not only be removed from his chairmanship of the council's Civic Centre committee, but should also lose his seat on all his committees.

Cllr Fletcher, who was present at the meeting said he knew nothing about any warning given to him concerning his previous conduct.

"I can't comment on it because I don't have what you're talking about here in front of me," he said.

Councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping Cllr Fletcher of his four committee posts. He had been chairman of the council's civic centre committee, and had also sat on the policies and governance, finance and audit, and allotments and landscapes committees.

Commenting after the meeting, Cllr Fletcher said: "I accept I'd been in the wrong. But I believe it's hasty and harsh for any councillor to be tried and prosecuted without warning."