THE chairman of a council committee responsible for investigating complaints against councillors “withheld” information from the only non-Conservative member, an ombudsman has found.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has been ordered to apologise to Friends of Riverside campaigner, Conor O’Luby, for failing to properly consider his allegations against former cabinet member Cllr Mike Greene.

The Local Government Ombudsman said the decision of the council that the complaint did not warrant a full investigation was flawed because information was not shared with independent Cllr Kieron Wilson by chairman Cllr Beverley Dunlop.

Its findings come less than a year after it ruled against the council for not consulting members of the committee during the three-month period it took to respond following the first submission of the complaint.

Mr O’Luby had alleged that he was “deliberately misquoted” by Cllr Greene in a response to a question he asked at the December 2016 council meeting.

Following the initial ruling against the council it reconsidered the complaint with monitoring officer, and now legal director for the new council, Tanya Coulter consulting with Cllr Dunlop and members of the standards committee.

It decided that a full investigation was not required.

However, the ombudsman found that Cllr Dunlop had "withheld some information" from Cllr Wilson which "questions the fairness and validity of the process".

“It is also a concern that the independent councillor [Cllr Wilson] was of the view that a decision had already been made prior to the consultation taking place.

“This has caused [Mr O'Luby] uncertainty about the process and how the council has considered his complaint.”

The ombudsman has ordered the council to apologise to Mr O’Luby and to carry out an investigation into his complaint within two months.

Speaking after the publication of the report, Mr O’Luby said he hoped he would now get a “fair hearing” and that he was considering lodging futher complaints about the way his complaint was handled.

Ms Coulter said although the report contained an "inaccuracy" about the way it originally handled the complaint it would look at it again.

“In accordance with the decision, we can confirm that this matter will be reconsidered by the new BCP Council standards committee," she said.

"The report contains an inaccuracy in respect of the process applied by Bournemouth Borough Council in accordance with its code of conduct.

"The decision on complaints at an initial stage rested with the chairman of the standards committee who acted in consultation with the other members of the committee, it was not a decision for officers to make.

"BCP Council will be contacting the complainant to advise as to the process that will be followed.”