A COUNCILLOR believes there is a campaign against him after complaints about his behaviour were lodged with Wiltshire Council.

Cllr Simon Killane, who sits on the town council and represents Malmesbury on Wiltshire Council, was the subject of a number of complaints from town councillor Julie Exton and members of the public.  

But he said most of the allegations have been thrown out by Wiltshire Council and he expects the rest to be dismissed too.

Cllr Killane, who has been on Wiltshire Council for more than five years, told the Standard that one of the allegations by Cllr Exton followed an exchange between the two after a town council meeting.

He admitted that he criticised Cllr Exton after she made comments about his popularity following the meeting, but insists that there were no grounds for a complaint.

Following this argument, Cllr Exton's son, Chris Exton, launched a petition calling for Cllr Killane to resign and then more people made complaints against him.

Cllr Killane said: “These included untrue accusations of inappropriate behaviour, completely false claims that my behaviour towards people in the High Street warranted police action, unfounded accusations of corruption and cruel, untrue accusations alleging abusive behaviour towards my son.”

He also said there have been instances of threatening behaviour towards him from some members of the community, both online and in real life.

“My wife has been put through tremendous stress and struggles to take the kids to school in the mornings thanks to these vicious and totally out of order accusations," he added.

Cllr Exton said she stands by the complaints she has lodged, stating that she was not alone in her views on Cllr Killane.

Commenting on the petition, she said: “My son found me in tears and started the petition to see if any others felt the same, or had been in the same position as I had been, and that he [Killane] should resign.

"Killane blocked people who signed the petition, not only from Facebook, but from his website as well.

"He called them trolls, scum and haters. These are his constituents.”

She said her arguments with Cllr Killane had made "life very difficult this past year".

Cllr Exton added: "I hope I can move on and I am allowed to get on with doing what I was elected for - to serve the people of Malmesbury, and make it a better place.”