Babergh's Conservative group leader Simon Barrett has apologised to the full council after admitting making an obscene hand gesture to leader John Ward during a meeting.

Cllr Barrett, who represents Great Cornard, made the rude gesture at a full council meeting last May. A code of conduct complaint made against him was upheld and he was told to make the apology.

At last night's Babergh meeting at Endeavour House, Cllr Barrett said: "Thank you for the opportunity to apologise to full council for the slight lapse in my usual impeccable behaviour I certainly do apologise to council."

Cllr Barrett made apology to full Babergh council last night

He then claimed he had made the gesture because he thought Cllr Ward and the deputy leader Clive Arthey were allegedly laughing at a public speaker.

However, both councillors denied the accusation and the chair told Cllr Barrett there was no video evidence of his claim.

The apology had been urged by the council's monitoring officer following the outcome of a code of conduct complaint.

Council leader John Ward said in response: "I was pleased that Cllr Barrett issued an apology for a stupid, childish act.

"But I'm disappointed he fell into using the classic abuser response: 'I am sorry for what I did but it's your fault – you made me do it.' Then he based this excuse on a lie.

"I would never laugh at a member of the public, either inside or outside the council chamber."

In 2018, Cllr Barrett was ordered by the council to apologise after allegedly being disrespectful to an officer; the councillor described the investigation as "laughable".

Cllr Barrett, who is also the chairman of the South Suffolk Conservative Association, was not included in the reshuffled cabinet formed by Cllr Ward earlier this year. He is among the rest of the Tory group that have also lost all chair and vice chairs on Babergh committees.