Published here in full is the statement of Bournemouth council leader John Beesley in response to the independent inquiry conducted:

I am completely unsurprised at the findings of this independent inquiry. I always knew that I had done nothing to breach the Code of Conduct, just as I knew I had undertaken no unlawful activity.

Both the lengthy police investigation into alleged criminal activity and now the independent inquiry into alleged breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct have found that there is no case to answer and not a shred of credible evidence in any of the allegations made against me. Not one. It is now hard fact that I have been entirely vindicated – as I was always confident would be the case.

I know at first hand that both investigations have been completely thorough and conducted with the upmost integrity. However, just as with the outcome of the police inquiry, again we hear that the complainants are ‘disappointed’ with the outcome of this independent inquiry. Given the reputational damage they have caused both me and the council, it would have been hoped that at the very least they would have welcomed the completion of both inquiries and embraced the conclusions as finally giving objective clarity to their speculation.

In terms of my silence throughout, I have always said to the media that it would be completely inappropriate for me to comment as this could jeopardise fair consideration of the matters being considered by both the police investigation and the independent inquiry. Had I not taken that position, I am sure there would have been those who would accuse me of trying to inappropriately influence the outcome.

In addition, I am prevented from commenting directly about anything to do with Tony Williams’ employment, much as I might like to, as I am bound by the confidentiality agreement entered into by the council, which I recall was at his own insistence. However, recent media speculation about the circumstances of his departure from the council are so wide of the mark, that for many people who were present at the time, it has been hugely surprising that such idle and wilful speculation can have been so easily be presented and accepted as fact, without any supporting evidence whatsoever.

In addition, the last minute emergence of a dossier as reported recently, actually contained nothing more than further uncorroborated opinions which were obviously dismissed in the police inquiry. These formed no part of this independent Code of Conduct inquiry as they were clearly out of its scope.

Through repetitive rumour, personal spite and political motivation, I have been subject to two years and more of accusations, speculation and personal vendetta from just a handful of people.

It is deeply regretful that the opinions, and that’s all they are, of those commencing and continuing this campaign against me have received such prolonged and repetitive exposure. There was never anything there, other than what they speculated to the media in order to generate, and then maximise, reputational damage for me, the council and the local Conservatives.

It is a disgrace that local politics can have sunk to this low point through the actions of those few people who must have known there was no evidence, and yet they joined together in a common and manipulative purpose with their complaints.

Some of them have been driven by their own personal or political agendas, others because they could not fulfil their ambitions on the council, while a few are simply not team players in achieving our priorities and of trying to do the very best for the residents of Bournemouth whom we were elected to serve.

I very much hope that all those concerned – both politicians and others – can now accept the truth that they have failed and that their stories and opinions, supported by leaked and anonymous rumours, have at last been exposed as nothing more than that. Pure conjecture and speculation with no basis in fact, nor any evidence in support.

Most people will now expect there to be no further waste of council time and resources on these personal agendas. I hope that the complainants will now face up to the facts and understand that they were wrong.

In doing so, they need to openly acknowledge and accept the findings of the two inquiries as exposing nothing more than the truth.

I am confident that all the information available has been presented to, and considered by, either the extensive police inquiry or this independent inquiry into the Code of Conduct issues. There is simply nothing else, and further attempts to dress up failed allegations as something new will be seen to be exactly what they are, and as coming from the same discredited sources.

This has been a most difficult process over the past two years and more. It has obviously been very costly to me both personally and financially.

I should like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have stood by me and believed in my innocence from the start.

That support has manifest itself in the loyalty of the vast majority of the Conservative Group on Bournemouth Council who have re-elected me at two AGMs as their leader since this began.

Throughout the process I have received so much encouragement from councillor colleagues and members of the public to continue with our work, and thereby I have tried my best just to get on with the job I was elected to do.

This would not have been possible without that enormous support and encouragement, for which I shall be forever grateful.

We now need to move on and concentrate on the real challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we become part of the new BCP Council.

The delivery of the services that matter to residents remains my number one priority, through serving Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in whatever way I can in the future. There is much work to do.