Arundel MP Howard Flight has called for less red tape for parish councillors.

The Conservative Party has tabled an amendment to the Local Government Bill, currently in the House of Lords, which would abolish the parish councillors' code of conduct.

The code requires councillors to declare shareholdings and act as whistleblowers on their colleagues.

Mr Flight said: "Conservatives are standing up for West Sussex's parish councils in the face of growing Whitehall interference.

"Labour's draconian code of conduct has resulted in resignations across the country and is discouraging more people from getting involved in this vital tier of community life.

"This is also further proof that the Liberal Democrats face both ways. In the House of Commons they opposed the code of conduct; in the House of Lords, they supported it.

"Only Conservatives are acting as the effective opposition in Parliament and are consistently standing up for local parishes and local people across West Sussex."