A community councillor has been censured by a Ceredigion County Council committee for breaching the code of conduct following a conviction for drink driving.

Ceredigion County Council’s ethics and standards committee, meeting on 15 August, made a final determination into a breach of Llansantffraed Community Council’s Code of Conduct by Cllr Andrew Phillips following a complaint and subsequent report by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

The Code of Conduct complaint was lodged by county council officers against Cllr Phillips “following a criminal conviction for driving whilst over the legal limit for alcohol.”

Cllr Phillips was arrested on 14 January last year after being found to be driving while more than twice the legal drink drive limit.

He reported to the arrest to the community council clerk and pleaded guilty in court to drink driving.

He was disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined £230.

Llansantffraed Community Council’s Code of Conduct says that “members must act to uphold the law and act on all occasions in accordance with the trust that the public has placed in them.”

But at a community council meeting following his conviction, councillors unanimously decided that “the offence committed by Cllr Phillips did not amount to criminal behaviour and had not brought the office of councillor or the authority into disrepute” and did not refer the issue to the Ombudsman.

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Michelle Morris said: “Cllr Phillips sought advice from the Clerk and was advised that he did not need to self-refer to my office and therefore did not refer himself to my office.

“The Council also decided not to refer the matter to my office.

“It is of concern that neither the Clerk nor the Council followed the Monitoring Officer’s advice.”

Committee members censured Cllr Phillips for the breach.