A top councillor has said his colleagues need the discipline of a head teacher to keep them in line.

Plaid Cymru group leader on Denbighshire County Council, Arwel Roberts, is fed up with what he says is poor attendance from his fellow county councillors.

The retired primary school teacher said he noticed that too many members were missing meetings or leaving early and that this was a bad example to school children in the county.

Although, he added, he didn’t have any evidence on councillors’ attendance, he thought that a firm hand from a headteacher type character would whip his colleagues into shape.

Cllr Roberts had spoken of his concerns to the Local Democracy Service as councillors consider a pay rise that has been recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel of Wales that will see elected members get an extra £268 a year.

He said: “There are members who are not there during full county council, definitely, I haven’t got evidence, I haven’t kept a record. As headteachers are trying to get attendance up in schools what example is given to them by the county councillors who do not turn up in meetings.

“Children in my school wouldn’t have dared to not come into school because I was the boss. I think the council needs some discipline.”

According to the council’s own figures the average attendance in the last six months for councillors has been to 86% of the meetings they are supposed to be at.

But some of his colleagues hit back at Cllr Roberts saying he did not understand the commitments members have to make to sit on the council.

Llanbedr county councillor, Huw Williams, said: “I think the leader of Plaid Cymru needs to look afterhis own group before he criticises hard working councillors. We don’t want a retirement club where people turn up to meetings and then don’t contribute anything of any substance.

“People do miss meetings but there can be very good reasons for this like having to go to other unscheduled meetings, funerals or other council work.

“We also have to encourage a diverse a group as possible to sit as councillors and people do have other family and work commitments that just sometimes cannot be avoided. It is understandable therefore that people might have to leave a meeting a little early. I would ask Cllr Roberts who is retired does he not want to see people who have young families or are carers or are in full time work sit on the council. Because that’s what it sounds like to me.”

And Cllr Joe Welch, the leader of the independent group, said: “The role of councillors is much wider than just attending committee and council meetings. We have member area group meetings, council briefings, meetings with officers and we have regular contacts with our residents. So it’s only a very small element of the role of the councillor.”