Councillors' war of words over Hartlepool A&E fight

Coun David Riddle, of Putting Hartlepool First, said any suggestion that UKIP councillors had spearheaded efforts to reinstate the accident and emergency department were disingenuous.

Coun Riddle said: “I honestly can’t recall any of the UKIP councillors saying anything about the return of A&E services in the council chamber.

“The only people who can legitimately claim to have been ‘spearheading’ the case for the return of A&E services to Hartlepool are the various campaigning groups and Keith Fisher who together deserve all the credit for keeping the campaign alive.”

Coun Riddle accused UKIP of looking for bandwagon issues to join now the EU referendum has been decided.

UKIP Hartlepool chairman Councillor John Tennant called for the return of A&E after the recent announcement that urgent care services will be delivered from the University Hospital of Hartlepool rather than the One Life facility in Park Road.

Coun Tennant said: “I never at any point said I was spearheading anything to do with the hospital, I was just demonstrating UKIP’s support in bringing back A&E services.

“I think Councillor Riddle misunderstood the words that I used.”