THE Winchester rebel councillor at the centre of a bullying probe has warned colleagues that the ongoing investigation could jeopardise Tory chances in forthcoming elections.

The city council has been sitting on a report investigating claims against Cllr Kim Gottlieb made by former council leader Stephen Godfrey. The draft report was finished last November and the final report in January.

Last week the city council threatened a High Court injunction against the Hampshire Chronicle to prevent publication of the report by the newspaper.

Now the Chronicle can reveal that we have learned Cllr Gottlieb emailed senior Conservative councillors in December to say he would strongly defend his reputation, saying he has been badly treated.

He told colleagues that his response would not be "timid or discreet", the Chronicle has been told.

Cllr Gottlieb warned that the issue could affect the Conservatives' performance in the county council elections on May 4 and that even local MP Steve Brine's position was under threat. His email was dated before the announcement on Tuesday by the prime minister of the likely date of the General Election on June 8.

The councillor is a man of financial means and in 2014 he took the city council to the High Court over the Silver Hill development. His successful action was the key factor in that scheme being jettisoned by the city council last year. His Winchester Deserves Better campaign successfully called for the Silver Hill scheme to be started again.

Since that action there has been no love lost with several members of the Conservative Party. Recently, as reported last week, Cllr Gottlieb swore at a fellow councillor James Byrnes in a break at the full council meeting at the Guildhall.

His email came a few weeks before the resignation as leader of Cllr Godfrey, to be replaced by Caroline Horrill Cllr Gottlieb declined to discuss the issue saying the pre-county council election 'purdah' prevented him from doing so.

The city council has denied it has been 'sitting on' the report, saying in a statement last week: "The report forms part of a complex investigation which is yet to be completed. Publication could prejudice the outcome of the investigation."

Council leader Caroline Horrill declined to comment, also citing the electoral 'purdah' restrictions.

Mr Brine said: "It's not for an MP to wade into the skirmishes between a local council and one of its members. I think my constituents will rightly expect me to focus on my job."