THE Conservative leader of Dorset County Council has tonight been charged by police with three offences of failing to declare an interest in a property company.

The Crown Prosecution Service this evening authorised Dorset Police to instigate proceedings against Cllr Spencer Flower, 72, of Verwood, with three offences under section 31 and 34 of the Localism Act 2011.

He will appear before Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court on December 2.

The charge comes after a lengthy investigation into Cllr Flower’s involvement with a company called Zebra Property Solutions.

Now Cllr Flower is facing calls to step down from his position at DCC from all sides of the political divide.

One Conservative described his position as untenable “at least until this matter is dealt with in the courts”.

Cllr Flower told the Daily Echo: “I am not making any comment this evening. I will make a statement about my position to the media on Tuesday.”

Fellow Conservative councillor, Lesley Dedman, said Cllr Flower “must consider his position” as leader of DCC while the case was ongoing.

Cllr Peter Wharf, who represents Bere Regis on DCC, said: “I am shocked at the news. However I assume this will take some months to resolve and, while a man is innocent until proved guilty, I feel it is in the best interests of Dorset County Council and the Conservative party for him to step aside while this is dealt with.”

Cllr Flower is married to Cllr Toni Coombs, who is Dorset County Council’s cabinet member for education and communications.

Both are members of East Dorset District Council and Cllr Flower was leader of EDDC until last year.

He became leader of DCC in May 2013 after the last round of county council elections.

Leader of the Lib Dem group, Cllr Janet Dover, said: “He should consider standing down while the legal proceedings are ongoing.

“The reputation of the county council should be preserved at all times and I would like him to consider what the best way forward would be to preserve that reputation while these proceedings are ongoing.”

Cllr Mike Byatt, a Labour county councillor, said: “This is a serious situation.

“There is a need for a proper legal procedure, but I think Spencer Flower will want to reflect on his current position as leader of the council while this is ongoing.”

A spokesman for Dorset County Council said: “We have only just been informed about these charges and there will be a meeting tomorrow to discuss the implications, if any, for the county council.”

John Locke, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS Wessex Complex Casework Unit, said: “I have authorised Dorset Police to institute proceedings against Councillor Spencer Flower for three offences under sections 31 and 34 of the Localism Act 2011, which imposes a duty on members of a local authority to disclose certain pecuniary interests on taking office and to refrain from participating in council business which will affect these interests unless dispensation is given.

“It is alleged that while Cllr Flower was leader of East Dorset District Council he failed to declare his interest in Zebra Property Solutions LTD (ZPSL), a company for which he was a Non-Executive Director.

“It is also alleged that he failed to declare his interest in the same company to Dorset County Council.

“The third allegation relates to Cllr Flower failing to disclose his interest in Synergy Housing Ltd (SHL), a company, in which he was also a Non-Executive Director, before a meeting of Dorset County Council on February 25, 2013, at which its Core Strategy for the provision of social housing was discussed.

"It is alleged that Cllr Flower participated and voted during this meeting.

“I carefully reviewed all the evidence provided to me by Dorset Police and was satisfied that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Cllr Flower for these three offences.”