A BLAENAU Gwent councillor could face a six month suspension after an ombudsman found there is evidence he was "less than frank" at a teacher's employment tribunal.

The woman teacher claims Rassau councillor David Wilkshire, who is chairman of governors at Rhos y Fedwen primary school, Ebbw Vale, knew details of her dismissal and should not have sat on her appeals panel.

The teacher, who was not named in a report to Blaenau Gwent council's standards committee on Friday, had given Councillor Wilkshire a letter outlining her side of the story before she was dismissed.

He said he had not read it because it could have made him biased, and instead handed it to the borough solicitor.

The teacher claimed Councillor Wilkshire took her case to an employment tribunal, which found she was unfairly dismissed but that she should bear 60 per cent of the responsibility for her dismissal.

In his report, the local government ombudsman Adam Peat concludes that there is "sufficient evidence" to suggest Councillor Wilkshire knew the details of the teacher's case and should not have sat on her appeals panel.

The ombudsman also says two council officers advised councillor Wilkshire not to sit on the board.

But he says there is no evidence of malice on Councillor Wilkshire's part - instead his actions "stemmed from a sense of loyalty" to the school and acting headteacher.

Mr Peat found that Councillor Wilkshire had breached his council's code of conduct.

The Meeting on Friday will decide what penalty, if any, he should face - with a maximum sanction of six months' dismissal.

Councillor Wilkshire said last night he was told he didn't have to sit on the board, but wasn't aware that he shouldn't sit on the board.

He said: "I believed it was my duty as a governor to sit on the panel.

"I acted in good faith and honestly believed that what I was doing was the right thing to do.

"I knew there was an issue with the teacher concerned, but I didn't know the detail of the case before sitting on the panel."