BASILDON Council boss Bala Mahendran has rapped a councillor for making "inappropriate" comments about a member of staff.
 

Mr Mahendran took the unusual step of sending out a note to all councillors after senior Tory, John Dornan, criticised one of the authority’s solicitors at a public meeting.
 

The email has sparked fury among councillors, including Mr Dornan, who responded to the email by saying Mr Mahendran’s position had become “untenable”.
 

Mr Mahendran fired off the email following a controversial full council meeting last week in which Labour stormed out because Mr Dornan, who was meant to be apologising to one of its members, launched into a scathing attack on the oppostition.
 

Mr Dornan had been told to aplogise for making “ageist” comments about Bill Archibald, but said he had attempted to get the council to review its policy of naming councillors who are made the subject of a complaint about their conduct.
 

However, he said his attempts had been vetoed by a council solicitor, but restrained from naming the solicitor.
But in his email, leaked to the Echo, Mr Mahendran criticised his conduct.
 

The email read: “I was extremely disappointed to hear an elected Member impugn the reputation of one of my senior managers.
 

“The comments were clearly directed at a single, identifiable individual which I consider wholly inappropriate and unacceptable, in particular given that neither myself nor the officer has the right or opportunity to respond in that forum.”
 

Responding to Mr Mahendran’s email, Mr Dornan replied: “Bala’s action is reprehensible. No matter what was said his position is untenable and he should resign immediately pending an inquiry.”
 

Indendent councillor Lynda Gordon, who was not present at the meeting, also responded and said Mr Mahendran should have raised the issue with Mr Dornan and Mr Ball instead of in an email which would “no doubt” end up being leaked to the press.
 

Tory cabinet member Kevin Blake also emailed a reply in which he said he agreed the issue should have been raised in person with Mr Dornan and would now “end up in the Echo”.
Mr Dornan told the Echo he was not prepared to comment on the row but said he was seeking legal advice about the email.