A PARISH councillor from a village near Winchester has been convicted of threatening behaviour at a meeting.

Gerry Tull, 65, pictured, pushed tables at Owslebury Parish Council on April 16, causing a projector to crash to the floor, magistrates heard.

Tull, an agricultural contractor, of Main Road, Owslebury, had denied threatening behaviour against Tony Manship, the parish council chairman.

But he was convicted after a trial at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court and given a two-year conditional discharge, and ordered to pay £500 towards prosecution costs.

Following the verdict, Tull said he had no intention of resigning from the council.

“I have had so much support from the village and will stay until the village does not want me,” he said.

“But I’m prepared to apologise at the next meeting. But in exchange I would like guarantees there will be changes to the way the council is run.”

Mr Manship said Tull would only have been automatically disqualified from sitting on the council had he been jailed for three months or longer.

He said: “The council is in a difficult position. It has a difficult personality when he comes up against an issue he does not agree with. He does not like to debate things, he likes to get his own way.”

The next elections for the parish council are in around 18 months’ time. Mr Manship said he would review his own position nearer the time.

The next meeting will be next Monday (December 10).