CALLS have been made for an inquiry into leaks at Christchurch council after a row between councillors and officers last week.

Borough chief executive David McIntosh has called on senior councillors to investigate the alleged leaking of information of emails and other communications by councillors to the media.

Mr McIntosh told the Echo: “Recently members of Christchurch Borough Council have leaked information to the press and I have asked the leader what he intends to do about it.”

It follows last week’s news that leader Cllr David Flagg had written privately to Communities Secretary Sajid Javid in December, reportedly complaining that members were having difficulty obtaining information from officers in order to prepare an alternative to the Future Dorset merger plan.

Members last year rejected the plan to combine the council with Bournemouth and Poole under a single new unitary council, which Mr Javid is currently considering.

Mr McIntosh was approached by the Daily Echo last week after we were informed of the contents of a letter sent in response by Mr Javid.

The chief executive said he had not been aware of Cllr Flagg's letter until the response was sent to the council last month.

He said he and the council’s strategic director Ian Milner “believed the (original) letter to be inaccurate and misleading”.

In his response of January 16, Mr Javid said Christchurch council’s proposal to retain the existing two-tier local government structure outside Bournemouth and Poole did not have “any realistic likelihood of being implemented”.

However he said he would carefully consider all representations before making a final decision.

Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope said he had already written to Mr Javid urging him to think again about the contents of his response to Cllr Flagg, which he said contained “contradictory” arguments.

He said Bournemouth and Poole should not be allowed to “force” a merger on Christchurch.

“I’ve written to the Secretary of State asking him to look at this again, not least because it’s grossly inequitable,” he said.

He accused Bournemouth and Poole of “saying ‘we’re happy for a threesome but not prepared to do a tango together’”.

Sir Christopher also suggested a decision on the Future Dorset plan may not come as early as some had thought.

He said he and Mr Javid had agreed to have a meeting about reorganisation at a date yet to be fixed, suggesting there would be no imminent announcement.