A councillor has been punished for leaking a secret report on a suspended council chief executive.

Liberal Democrat councillor Olive Woodall admitted passing on the confidential report into the conduct of disgraced chief executive of Eastbourne Borough Council, Sari Conway, to the media.

After being suspended for a year on her full £72,000 a year salary, Mrs Conway was sacked following a year-long inquiry which found her guilty of gross misconduct.

It said she had bullied colleagues and concluded her aggressive management style had destroyed working relationships.

Councillors were given the report before attending a meeting to decide Mrs Conway's future but were sworn to secrecy.

Hampden Park member Ms Woodall said she felt leaking the document was the right decision.

At a meeting of the full council last night, councillors agreed that Coun Woodall should be removed as chairman of the council's policies scrutiny committee.

The council also agreed she should be reprimanded by her party.

But fellow party members said the sanctions were too harsh.

Lib Dem leader Beryl Healy said: "It is like trying to hang somebody for breaking into an electricity meter. It's just so over the top, it's ridiculous."