Hartlepool Borough Council finally agrees to work with neighbouring authority over mystery sea life deaths

Hartlepool Borough Council previously turned down an invitation from Redcar and Cleveland Council to take part in a Tees Valley joint scrutiny committee looking into the mass deaths.

At a public meeting into the crab and lobster deaths last month, councillors unanimously agreed to refer to full council a vote on whether to revisit the decision following calls from Labour representatives.

Denise McGuckin, council managing director, updated that Redcar and Cleveland Council clarified it is not going ahead with the scrutiny committee idea and has instead set up an “informal working group”.

Hartlepool councillors have now unanimously backed joining the group at their latest full council meeting. .

Councillor Shane Moore, Hartlepool council’s leader, welcomed the clarification on the joint working plans, and praised the findings of the recent House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee into the issue.

This included calling for “a full independent scientific investigation” into the deaths.

Labour’s Councillor Rachel Creevy, who first raised a council motion on the issue, said: “This has been an extraordinary event and we need an extraordinary response to it.

“I’d like to request all members in this room do their job and support local residents and our fishing industry.”

Three councillors from Hartlepool will join the group, which will meet in the near future, along with the council’s scrutiny manager.

They are Cllr Rob Cook, chair of audit and governance, Cllr Mike Young, chair of economic growth and regeneration, and Cllr Creevy.