But Tory Cllr Matthew Lock, who is a lead member on both Hastings Borough Council (HBC) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC), said residents' safety was always his top priority and he would act in the same way again.

On Monday a HBC standards committee found Cllr Lock had breached the authority's code of conduct when he took on a complaint from Tory candidate Simon Corello last May.

Cllr Corello now sits on Hastings Borough Council, but at that time was standing for a county council seat.

In the wake of a string of attacks on young women - for which Adam Gall was eventually jailed last year – Cllr Corello passed on concerns to Cllr Lock that there were no street lights on Clinton Crescent, St Leonards.

Cllr Lock was told there was no money in the county council budget and so took the matter to borough council officers, who organised a walkabout to inspect the street.

Cllr Lock - not to be confused with Cllr J Lock, who represents Silverhill ward - then sent a letter to residents thanking Cllr Corello for bringing the matter to his attention.

This was found to have compromised the political neutrality of officers.
Tony Smith, who investigated the complaint, said: "I very much get the impression Cllr Lock was acting with the best of intentions but such an experienced councillor should have made it clear who Simon Corello was.

"Had he done so the officers would have acted with much more caution. The letter he then sent out did imply political motives."

In his defence speech, Cllr Lock said: "It is clearly not the case that from day one I engaged the borough council officers in order to further the conservative cause.

"If girls are being attacked out there and I end up in front of a standards board then I would always prefer that."

The committee gave Cllr Lock an official censure, ordered him to make written apologies to three officers and undergo training on his responsibilities.

He has the right to appeal, and speaking after the meeting, he said: "I would do the same again. Residents' safety is one of the key issues in this town and there is a real fear of crime. Unless we get out and address that it will continue.

"I hold my hands up and will learn my lesson, but I think it is unrealistic for lead members just to drop everything in the run-up to elections.

"I think we need more clarification," he added.