Councillors who abused a local news title’s journalists have been reprimanded for their behaviour – with one being ordered to apologise to its editor.

Guildford Borough Council has found two of its members, Paul Spooner and Graham Eyre, failed to act with respect after sending insulting messages to Guildford Dragon editor Martin Giles and reporter David Reading.

Councillor Spooner had told David in an email to “get stuffed” and referred to Martin as “your pea-brained editor” while Cllr Eyre called him a “grubby little boss”.

Martin had first raised the issue with the council at the time the messages were sent, almost 16 months ago, with an internal review recommending the two councillors apologise as an informal resolution.

After the pair refused, a report by independent investigator Simon Goacher concluded in July this year that the councillors had failed to comply with the Code of Conduct.

A sub-committee of the authority’s corporate governance and standards committee agreed with Mr Goacher’s conclusion at a meeting last week.

Martin, pictured, said after the hearing: “I am glad that the sub-committee agreed that Cllrs Spooner and Eyre had breached the code but this was a matter that should never have taken 16 months and nearly £4,500 of taxpayers’ money to resolve.

“The council should once again review the complaints process and, if it is within their power, improve it to reach speedier outcomes.

“It is, of course, important that councillors maintain standards and it is a great shame that these councillors couldn’t find it within themselves to willingly apologise at an early stage.

“But a forced apology now, even if it does come, would be worthless, so I am content to accept the sub-committee’s decision.  From a journalist’s point of view, it is important there is accountability – being prepared to answer questions all the time, not just when it suits them.”

The row began after Martin had sought corroboration and clarification with another member of the councillor’s Conservative group in respect of answers Cllr Spooner had provided to a set of questions asked by David.

The subsequent abusive messages were sent in emails, WhatsApp messages and Twitter posts by the Tory councillors, who both represent Ash South & Tongham ward.

In one tweet, Cllr Spooner also described the Dragon, which has been running since 2012, as a “seedy rag” – although Mr Goacher deemed this “political puff and rhetoric and not personal comments”.

During the independent probe, Martin had told Mr Goacher that “it was not the biggest thing in the world and there should be an apology and everyone should move on”, adding he “did not think council taxpayers’ money should be spent on this”.

In his evidence to the investigation, Cllr Spooner stated that if he “had made the comments in the public arena he would have withdrawn them or apologised”, while Cllr Eyre stated that he was “not sorry that he had sent the email”.

According to the Dragon, Cllr Spooner disagreed with the independent investigator’s finding that he had breached the code claiming he had been acting in a personal capacity, not as a councillor, when he had made the remarks.

He told the sub-committee before they retired to consider the sanctions to be imposed that he would refuse to apologise.

Both Cllr Spooner and Cllr Eyre, who was not present after informing the committee he did not intend to attend, will now receive letters advising them about their conduct.

Speaking to HTFP, Martin said: “Journalists are often criticised for not checking or double checking facts. Cllr Spooner’s gripe was that I had dared to do so which he felt was a personal insult. It wasn’t.”

He added: “I would not wish to equate this case with others where journalists have faced physical threats and truly vile abuse.”