DORSET police are believed to have interviewed former Bournemouth chief executive Tony Williams as part of their investigation into council leader John Beesley.

Mr Williams left the council in March with a controversial £400,000 pay-off after an alleged falling out with Cllr Beesley.

Mr Williams told friends he had become concerned about the leader's business interests in the town and that there were question marks over the extent of his declarations.

Police began what they describe as 'a meticulous' inquiry into Cllr Beesley's affairs in the summer, and it is understood that detectives interviewed Mr Williams over two days at his home in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

The investigation, under the Localism Act 2011, is set to conclude in the next few weeks.

Bournemouth council is to conduct its own probe.

Cllr Beesley has said he has followed the council's legal advice on declarations of pecuniary interest (DPI).

The council says it has only provided generic and publicly-available guidance to the leader.

The borough finally responded to a Daily Echo Freedom of Information request after a delay of several weeks.

The Echo sought notes or formal written advice on the subject of DPI given by the council's monitoring officer Tanya Coulter to Cllr Beesley since 2015.

"We were sent two pieces of generic and publicly available guidance.

Leah Dover, the council's access to information officer, said these were "the most up to date advice and guidance that members have received in respect of disclosable pecuniary interests".

"The first document is general advice and the second was provided to members at a training session in 2016," she said, confirming that these were the sum total of the written advice provided by Ms Coulter to the leader during the relevant time period.

The general advice document says members must notify the monitoring officer in writing of any DPI they have, including "employment, office, trade, profession or vocation – carried on for gain or profit, including the name of any person or body who employs or has appointed you".

Ms Coulter must then publish this information in a register of interests on the council’s website.

But while Cllr Beesley's register of interests lists his role as self-employed director of consultancy firm Hospitality Solutions, it does not contain any information about his clients or contracts.

This suggests either that this information was not provided to the council or it was not published.

The police investigation follows a complaint made against Cllr Beesley by 10 fellow Conservative councillors back in May, which alleged that he had breached the council's code of conduct and failed to properly make declarations of pecuniary interest under the Localism Act 2011.

The accusations are understood to relate to the planning application for the Belvedere Hotel earlier this year, in which Cllr Beesley worked a private consultant for hotel developer Fresh Lime.

The relevant sections of the act hold that it is up to a local authority "to determine what is to be entered in the authority’s register", albeit consistent with seven principles: Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

The guidance document sent to the Echo contains the following information:

- DPI include employment, sponsorship, securities, contracts, land, licences and corporate tenancies

- Members with a DPI in any matter being considered at a meeting must not participate in any discussion or vote

- Cabinet members must not use decision-making in such matters

Cllr Beesley said it would be inappropriate for him to comment while the investigation is ongoing.