A former teacher set to become chairman of Bradford Council's standards committee today promised to ensure councillors would be above reproach.

But Pam Essler, chairman of governors at Keighley College, said it would be a hard task to follow the Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David Smith.

She will head a new look committee with the watchdog role of monitoring the operation of the Council's code of conduct.

The committee considers complaints of misconduct and ensures high standards of behaviour by the 90 councillors on one of Britain's biggest councils.

For the first time, a member of the public, Michael Chappell, will be chairman of the new Parish and Town Council panel, set up as a sub-committee of the main committee.

For the first time members of the local councils will be expected to follow a code of conduct and can be reported to the panel if they are suspected of breaking rules.

The main new-look standards committee will have three councillors, a parish councillor and two independent members. The sub-committee will be made up of members of the standards committee and an additional parish councillor.

Mrs Essler and Mr Chappell, a magistrate, applied to Bradford Council to sit on the committees in a new system set up by the Council to involve the public.

They will be appointed at the Council's annual meeting next week and are expected to begin their unpaid jobs immediately.

Mrs Essler has a history of involvement with the NHS and was a member of the former Airedale Health Authority and Airedale NHS Trust. She is currently vice chairman of the Airedale Primary Care Trust.

She said: "I am very interested in the whole role which people play in public life.

"I think it is very important that standards are set up to adhere to and the correct procedures are in place to monitor it.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with the standards committee and build on the excellent framework they have developed to ensure that public confidence in councillors is well founded."

Mr Chappell, who lives in Shipley, has been a magistrate in Keighley for many years.

He is a member of the Valuation Tribunal, the Bradford Diocesan Synod and Airedale Deanery Synod.

At its last meeting with the Bishop as chairman, the members approved changes to standing orders tightening up procedures for procuring services.

The Bishop was the first senior clergyman to be appointed chairman of a standards committee. He said: "It has been an enjoyable, informative process which has left me with great admiration for members and officers."