A COUNCILLOR called on to pay back some of his allowances for failing to attend meetings has accused his critics of conducting a witch-hunt.

Cllr Andrew Mitchell, a Liberal Democrat sitting on Ealing Council, blasted Tory members after they claimed he had only attended four council meetings in eight months.

Cllr Mitchell told the Times he had taken legitimate leave to go travelling and was told by Ealing Council chiefs that he could keep his £7,000 annual allowance.

In a press release, leader of the Conservatives Cllr Ian Green said: "Cllr Mitchell should return the more than £3,000 he took while he was overseas – and then think about reimbursing residents for all the other meetings he continues to miss whilst collecting the taxpayer-funded allowance."

But Cllr Mitchell, a ward councillor for Southfield, claimed Cllr Green was mounting a smear campaign against him. He said he told Ealing Council chief executive Gillian Guy and mayor Gurcharan Singh of his plans to go on sabbatical leave to go travelling with his family and was told he could keep the allowance.

He said: "I told Gillian Guy I was going away for three months with my family and offered to pay back my allowance then – but she wrote back to me to say it was fine as I was only away for three months.

"The normal period for absence is six months. I was back at the beginning of September and I have been going to meetings.

"I am happy to hand back the allowance if I am required to do so but not because Ian Green says so.

"I did all the right things and I stick by that. If the people of Southfields are not pleased with me then they will show me at the next election but this is nothing but a witch-hunt by the Tories."

Cllr Green stands by his statement and denies his party is pursuing a witch-hunt against Cllr Mitchell. He said: "This is not a witch-hunt. No other councillor has a record like his.

"If he finds it difficult to turn up to meetings then he should at least give back the money he's not entitled to. It is the honourable and moral thing to do and he should pay it back."