The watchdog that rules on complaints made against councillors would be scrapped by the Tories under plans to cut red tape.

Conservatives say the Standards Board for England is unpopular and has been deluged with malicious and frivolous allegations since its creation.

The party claims some cases take up to two years to process and that the quango is a waste of time and money.

With 55 per cent of all complaints being made against parish councillors they say the effect on rural England has been the most visible.

According to shadow local government spokesman Eric Pickles a large number of parish councillors have bee forced to resign or stand down, fuelling a shortage of volunteers in the countryside.

Speaking at a Local Government Information Unit conference on Friday, Pickles said: "The Standards Board has become the problem not the solution.

"It is damaging the reputation and standing of local government, and wasting taxpayers' money on frivolous and malicious complaints.

"It has undermined public confidence in councillors and local councils.

"The impact on rural life has been the harshest, stigmatising and undermining the role of parish councillors, who now constantly face the threat of petty and unfounded complaints, and must act as informants on their colleagues.

"Conservatives are committed to reducing expensive and unnecessary red-tape and rolling back the growing central interference in local councils.

"As part of this process, we will abolish the discredited and unpopular standard boards, whose draconian conduct is wholly disproportionate to risk.

"We will keep the role of respected bodies like district auditors, the local government ombudsman and the police authorities, to tackle financial impropriety and administrative incompetence. But we see no need for this ineffective and discredited quango."