"I'm not staying to listen to this", said infuriated opposition leader Coun Bryan Denson as he left the County Hall chamber on Wednesday, followed by most of his party.

Just seven Tory councillors stayed in the meeting and labour councillors branded the dramatic exit 'a disgrace.'

It followed failed attempts by Coun Denson to prevent questions being asked among Labour councillors about Coun Philip Thomas, who hit the headlines earlier this year for his controversial views on knives and drugs, as well as questions on the Conservative's national policies.

Council leader Peter Box accused the Tories of 'prima donna' behaviour.

He said: "We were elected by the people and if they are not prepared to sit through good and bad, it begs the question are they fit to be elected?"

Coun Denson said yesterday the Coun Thomas matter had gone to the standards board for England and was not supposed to be publicly discussed.

He said: "We took this unprecedented and spontaneous step in protest at the direction the meeting had taken. We were not allowed to comment or reply to the questions or answers being put.

"Many questions were out of date, but we were not even allowed to correct the information. This surely cannot be democratic and the time could have been better spent discussing issues of importance to the district."

Coun Denson said the mayor had received an apology from his party.

l ANGRY council leader Peter Box accused the Tories of being slack this week for their failure to deliver an alternative budget.

Coun Box said the opposition had no right to criticise his party if they could not come up with other options.

He said: "In my 10 years as leader never have any of them prepared an alternative budget and they are the only Tory group in the country which doesn't."

Opposition leader Bryan Denson promised an alternative budget for 2008 in 2007 but it did not materialise.

A motion proposed by Coun Box, calling on the Conservative group to ensure it submits an alternative budget next year, was passed in the absence of many Tory councillors who walked out of the meeting moments earlier.

Yesterday, Coun Denson said the whole thing was 'nonsense' and said his party was seeking legal advice on the proceedings.