A BOROUGH councillor has been reported to police amid allegations that he misrepresented a fellow member while out campaigning.

Former Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council leader Councillor Stephen Reid is alleged to have accused deputy mayor Cllr Phil Heath of “bullying women”.

Cllr Reid, a Conservative, said he was just referring to a Gazette report from 2008 when a standards board found Cllr Heath failed to treat others with respect – but the deputy mayor has referred the matter to the police, alleging malicious misrepresentation.

In a statement, a Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received a complaint in relation to an alleged offence under the Representation of the People Act. Local officers are investigating.”

There is a history between the councillors. Cllr Heath’s elevation to the post of borough mayor for 2010-11 has so far been blocked by Conservatives, some of whom do not think it would be appropriate for him to take up the position while he faces outstanding fresh allegations that he has again breached the councillors’ code of conduct. Cllr Reid has made one of the four fresh complaints against Cllr Heath.

The latest incident which led to Cllr Heath’s complaint allegedly occurred when Cllr Reid was canvassing in Buckskin.

Pensioner Margaret Stewart, of Prescelly Close, said when Cllr Reid knocked on her door, she said she would not be voting Conservative because of the mayoral situation. She said Cllr Reid alleged Cllr Heath was unsuitable to be mayor because “he bullied women”.

Mrs Stewart, 72, claimed Cllr Reid then produced a piece of paper with printing on to show her, and apologised for the bad language in it.

She said she told Cllr Reid that she knew Cllr Heath, did not want to read the piece of paper and would not change her vote, and Cllr Reid, who had by now been joined by another canvasser, left.

Mrs Stewart told her son Stephen McIntyre-Stewart, Cllr Heath’s agent, about the encounter, and Cllr Heath went to the police.

Cllr Heath said: “It’s the most appalling thing I have ever heard in 18 years of elections. Anyone will tell you I have never been known to use expletives.”

The one exception, he admitted, was a dispute, also in 2008, with a male Conservative party worker which led to Cllr Heath’s expulsion from the Tories.

Cllr Reid said his comment about bad language referred to a mention of that dispute, while the article he was producing was The Gazette’s report on the standards board findings.

He told The Gazette: “She (Mrs Stewart) asked a question. I answered the question by reference to the information in the public domain.”

Asked why it was necessary to refer to that when Mrs Stewart had been talking about the mayoralty, Cllr Reid said: “To be accurate.”

Cllr Reid added: “We have been fighting a positive campaign and this (Cllr Heath’s complaint) is the sort of negative campaign that people dislike so much in politics.”