COMPLAINTS of financial mismanagement at a community hub in Bournemouth are being considered by both the police and the Charity Commission.

BCP Council said it had referred concerns about its running of Kinson Community Centre to Dorset Police “in the spirit of openness and transparency”.

Separately, the Charity Commission has launched an inquiry into Kinson Community Association, which now runs the hub, due to its failure to submit accounts for 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Two years ago the association, led by its chairman councillor David Brown – now the council’s cabinet member for finance, made allegations of fraud relating to its time being run by the council.

He said “in excess of £100,000” had vanished from the charity’s accounts.

An independent report was commissioned by Bournemouth council shortly before its abolition last year to investigate the allegations which date back to 2014.

It found all 20 to be “unsubstantiated”.

Despite this, at the end of last year, the council agreed to refer the matter to police. It said this was done “in the spirit of openness and transparency”.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said they had received a referral and that neighbourhood officers were “awaiting confirmation” as to whether a crime may have been committed.

“There is no open investigation at this time,” they added.

As a result of the police involvement, the council has paused its own investigations, pending the outcome of any criminal proceedings.

Separately, the Charity Commission has opened an inquiry into the association due to “concerns of mismanagement and and/or misconduct at the charity”.

“The charity was entered into a class inquiry in February 2018 to look into charities which had repeatedly defaulted on their statutory filing requirements,” it said in a statement.

“Despite continued engagement during that inquiry, the charity’s financial accounts for the [years ending] December 31, 2015 and 2016 are still outstanding and December 31, 2017 are now also overdue.

“These issues raise concerns over the charity’s accountability and transparency.”

It said its inquiry would look at the governance, management and administration of the charity and how its funds are accounted for.

Cllr Brown has been contacted for comment.