A COMPLAINT against a New Forest councillor by a judge has been upheld, it was revealed today.

Tory David Scott has been criticised by fellow members of the district council over two planning applications relating to a pig farm at Copythorne.

The council's standards panel has ruled that Cllr Scott breached the authority's code of conduct.

But it has stopped short of formally censuring Cllr Scott - and has also decided not to recommend his removal from the planning committee.

The announcement came three days after the panel met to consider a complaint lodged by Judge Norman Rudd, who lives near the pig farm.

Judge Rudd, who sits at Southampton Crown Court, said Cllr Scott had breached the code of conduct by openly supporting the applications before they were considered by fellow councillors.

A council spokesman said: "The panel agreed that Cllr Scott had breached some aspects of the code.

"Councillors should exercise caution in ensuring they do not commit themselves to a particular view on an application prior to the matter being decided by the council.

"But the panel agreed that Cllr Scott had acted with the best of intentions as he saw them - without malice or gain to himself. In the light of this, it did not consider it appropriate to censure him."

Judge Rudd's complaint centred on two plans submitted by a Miss Beaurain, who sought consent to build a house at the pig farm and an agricultural building.

He alleged that Cllr Scott, who represents part of the Copythorne area, supported the first application at a meeting of the local parish council.

In a written statement to the three-man panel, Cllr Scott claimed that two parish councillors quoted by Judge Rudd had "misconstrued" his comments.

But the panel concluded that Cllr Scott had "favoured or given the impression of favouring" Miss Beaurain.

Cllr Scott today declined to comment.