The controversial politician will go before a tribunal on Monday to determine whether he brought Gosport Borough Council into disrepute.

Cllr Chegwyn took part in a vote last year to stop standing orders being lifted in the council chamber.

This meant his Stokes Bay Festival could not be discussed at full council, preventing the Tories from trying to massively increase the rent for the land as well as moving camping away from the site.

A panel will now decide whether he broke the councillors' code by voting in the chamber when he had a prejudicial interest.

If it finds he breached the code, it has the power to disqualify Cllr Chegwyn for anything from six months to five years.

He would then be struck off from his position as leader of the Gosport Lib Dems and would also lose his county council seat.

Cllr Chegwyn has always previously insisted he did not know what restrictions the Tories were seeking to impose and that his vote was purely against the lifting of standing orders, and not connected to the festival.

But when contacted by The News he refused to comment.

The Gosport Tories reported the incident to the Standards Board for England – the local government watchdog – in August last year.

Last September the board launched an investigation, which concluded that the matter should go to tribunal.

The public hearing will now take place at the Holiday Inn, Titchfield, at 9.30am on Monday.

The deputy leader of Gosport's Tory council, Cllr Graham Burgess, said: 'I just don't know how things will go but I believe the adjudication panel have to set an example.

'There are rules and regulations in place that have to be complied with, which all councillors sign up to when elected.

'These standards have to be upheld, otherwise you don't have a democracy.

'It was deemed significant enough to be taken to a tribunal and the appropriate action should be taken.'