A councillor is facing being banned from office in an investigation into his behaviour.

Mark McCarthy refused to resign from Worthing Borough Council last October after being photographed draped across the bonnet of a car outside one of Prince Harry's favourite London nightclubs.

He was previously issued with an £80 on-the-spot fine for drunk and disorderly conduct in a bar, which he described as "deeply embarrassing".

The Argus understands Coun McCarthy has is facing further censure after being ordered before the council's standards sub-committee for his behaviour at last year's mayor-making at the town hall.

The council is keeping details of the "offence" secret and is likely to ban the public and Press from the hearing.

A report said members were being asked to "hear and determine a complaint concerning the conduct of Coun McCarthy, following a report from an Ethical Standards Officer."

Coun McCarthy was accused of failing to comply with the council's Code of Conduct which stipulated that members must treat others with respect.

It was also claimed he breached a clause which stated: "A member must not, in his/her official capacity, or any other circumstance, conduct himself/herself in a manner which could reasonably regarded as bringing his/her office or authority into disrepute."

Witnesses before the committee next Tuesday (May 29) may include council leader Keith Mercer, Lib Dem opposition leader Bob Smytherman and acting chief executive Ian Lowrie.

Last October, The Argus exclusively reported that Coun McCarthy was photographed by the paparazzi outside Boujis in South Kensington.

They were waiting for Brighton model Katie Price, also known as Jordan, to emerge when they were distracted by the Offington ward member's antics.

He was pictured on the car and lying in the street just yards from the exclusive club, which counts Prince Harry, Tom Parker Bowles, Jeffrey Archer's son James and Britney Spears among its celebrity clientele.

Coun McCarthy told The Argus at the time: "As a single man of 35, I feel what I have done is enviable and desirable and in my own private time. My honesty only strengthens my resolve and my desire to serve my constituents until my term of office ends."

But Coun Smytherman said at the time: "If he has brought his office into disrepute by his behaviour then he should step down as a councillor. He was elected to be an upstanding citizen of society and you have to behave in a certain way.

"When you are in public life you have to be whiter than white. You have to try to be a role model."

Coun Mercer added: "We excluded Mark from the Conservative group on the council some time ago. He is not doing himself any favours in the way he behaves."

Coun McCarthy, he was unavailable to comment yesterday, gave a written undertaking to observe the Code of Conduct on June 16, 2004, and received training from the monitoring officer on October 2, 2006.

The committee must decide whether he breached the Code, and if he did, what action should be taken.

If found "guilty", factors for members to consider included the seriousness of the incident, whether he accepted guilt, and whether he had apologised to the relevant people?

Sanctions included censure, although this wouldn't necessarily hamper a councillor's role, restrictions on access to council buildings for up to three months, a written apology, training, partial suspension for up to three months or total suspension for up to three months or longer.

Coun McCarthy quit the Conservatives to serve as an independent Tory until 2008, when his term of office ended and he planned to resign.

Bill Johnson, assistant director of legal services on the council, declined to comment.