A forum set up to investigate complaints about the conduct of councillors is to meet for the first time in Colchester.

A matter concerning an alleged smear campaign against the borough's deputy mayor Mike Hogg has been referred to the standards committee.

Mr Hogg, Liberal Democrat for St Anne's, referred the matter to the standards committee, which will meet soon.

Mr Hogg, who is due to be mayor next year, said: "My honesty and integrity has been called into question and it is up to the standards committee to investigate.

"It is quite obviously part of an on-going smear campaign my family and I have suffered for ten years."

A senior council officer will prepare a report about the matter, which will be given to the committee to consider.

It will be up to the committee to decide if it should be taken further and if any investigation or calling of people for questioning should take place in public or private.

The forum consists of a councillor from each of the three main parties, the Bishop of Colchester, an Essex University professor and a member of the Citizen's Panel.

The committee was set up in February after Government guidelines in the wake of the Nolan report into standards in public life.

Its remit is to look into complaints about council officers, councillors and the council itself.

Colchester Council's chief executive, John Cobley, said: "I can confirm that I have received a request from councillor Hogg that an anonymous document which has been widely circulated be looked into by the standards committee.

"Graham White, as the monitoring officer, will be preparing a report, which will form the basis of initial consideration by the standards committee as to whether or not and how the matter should be looked into."

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.