TWO Labour councillors abstained from taking part in the Workington Town Council meeting — highlighting legal concerns as the reasons that they chose to attend as members of the public.

At the full council meeting that was held on Tuesday evening, Labour Councillor’s Anthony Mcgucking and Ellie Wood sat in the public gallery at Princess Street reading a statement from their seats in the public participation aspect of the meeting.

Both councillors read out the following statement.

They said: “Given that there appears to have been serious inregularities in the process by which newly elected members take their seats in this council, which call into question whether I am in fact a councillor, a point on which I am taking legal advice, and noting that purporting to be a councillor when I may not in law be a councillor is a matter of criminal law, I will not participate as a councillor at this meeting, but observe proceedings from the public area.”

The statements refer to a question over the legalities of newly elected councillor’s positions in office after they were stopped from attending their first meetings as councillors after the local elections in May.

Workington Town Council was approached for a comment on the matter.

A spokesman for the Town Council said: “We received advice that the meeting they are referring to was held legally so for us this matter is resolved.”