A councillor who was asked to apologise for being rude to an occupational therapist says he is not ashamed of what he did.

Brighton and Hove City Council convened a standards panel for the first time after the therapist complained a councillor had been confrontational and intimidating when they both went to a disabled tenant's home to decide if a level-access shower was needed.

The hearing was in private and the councillor was not named. He was found not to have breached the local government conduct code but was asked to send an apology.

Now Mark Barnard, Tory councillor for Hangleton, has revealed he was the councillor involved.

He told our reporter he took his job of representing residents seriously and felt he did it well.

He said: "I have consistently said I will make no apology for defending the rights of my residents.

"All too often some council officers forget it is our residents that make pay days possible.

"In this case, a disabled resident had been left without the dignity of being able to wash independently. The solution was simple - to have a shower fitted.

"Bureaucracy and red tape did not allow a decision to be made.

"The resident called on me to help and I was glad to do so.

"A complaint was made against me because I supported the resident.

"An investigation followed, where council officers investigated me and their officer colleagues.

"I was found not to have breached any code of conduct; therefore the matter should have been closed."

Coun Barnard said another officer asked him to write a letter of apology but he felt strongly he had only been doing his job.

He said: "I insisted on taking the matter to the standards panel. It was no surprise to me the same conclusion was reached.

"The officer presented the whole case in my absence because I was precluded from attending."

Coun Barnard said he had written to the therapist, saying he was sorry if she felt pressure had been put on her.

He said: "This is a fairly minor incident but staff shortages in the social services department are forcing inexperienced staff into front-line duties and this is what I believe to have been the problem."

Coun Barnard said the whole process of investigation was fundamentally flawed.

He said it was wrong he could not attend the panel and that it was in secret. It was also unfair as he had not done anything wrong but was asked to apologise.