THE leader of Flintshire Council has denied he exaggerated the behaviour of a fellow councillor in his personal journal.

A tribunal heard that a diary was kept by Cllr Arnold Woolley to document behaviour by Mostyn councillor Patrick Heesom.

Cllr Heesom stands accused of six breaches of the councillors’ code of conduct.

Giving evidence to the tribunal, which continued at St David’s Park Hotel, Ewloe, yesterday, Cllr Woolley said he had “no intention to damage” Cllr Heesom with the diary.

He told the hearing: “What I needed to do was best protect the county from what I perceived was likely to happen.”

During cross-examination Michael Murphy, leading Cllr Heesom’s legal case, suggested a passage from the diary describing his client’s behaviour to officers at a council meeting was “exaggerated”.

The journal read: “Cllr Heesom in his attacking manner on that day went beyond what was fair.”

But Cllr Woolley replied: “I believe my remarks are appropriate to the event.”

Another extract from Cllr Woolley’s diary, about a meeting to discuss appointments for Flintshire’s new head of housing in 2009, read: “Patrick did not act appropriately as chair.

“He had already made up his mind long before the behaviour assessment papers were handed out.”

Mr Murphy said: “I suggest Cllr Heesom had no favoured candidate and was just trying to grapple with which was the best candidate to pick.”

Cllr Woolley replied: “I disagree with you on that matter.”

The tribunal continues.