OTTERY S county councillor has been cleared by a local authority watchdog over allegations he breached code of conduct rules.

OTTERY'S county councillor has been cleared by a local authority watchdog over allegations he breached code of conduct rules.

Roger Giles has described accusations, believed to be centered on comments made over controversial footpath 46, which links Wiggaton to Tipton St John, as "ludicrous".

Devon County Council's (DCC) standards committee ruled last Tuesday (September 29) that councillor Giles had not broken ant rules.

A number of accusations had been levelled at Mr Giles concerning the content and views expressed by him in a newsletter published in October 2006.

It was claimed he had failed to declare an interest during discussions by the council's Public Rights of Way Committee, and that the newsletter's content had failed to "treat others with respect".

Mr Giles has long campaigned to see the currently closed footpath, formerly part of a picturesque walk on the Eastern side of the River Otter, re-opened.

He said: "My intention was purely and simply to let my constituents know what I have been doing in this respect, and to let them know how they can play a part in the process of DCC achieving a diversion, and thus re-opening, of the public right of way.

"To claim that I should have declared an interest, as the complainants did, is quite ludicrous, as I have no interest other than doing the best for my community.

"I most certainly will not be put off from doing so by complaints of this nature, whether in connection with the matter of footpath 46 or any other issues.