COUNCIL chiefs last night rejected calls for an indepe-ndent inquiry into a disastrous Court case that has cost taxpayers more than £300,000.

New Forest District Council was sued by a flooring contractor it had wrongly accused of causing slippery and dangerous surfaces at three leisure centres.

At one stage, Cheltenham-based Titanium Polyurethane Seal (TPS) offered the council a chance to settle out of court for just £35,000. However, the Tory-controlled authority decided to contest the case – despite being warned that it stood only a 50-50 chance of success.

A High Court judge ruled in favour of TPS, saying the council’s own cleaning methods were responsible for problems at the centres in Hythe, Ringwood and Totton. He awarded the company costs of £105,000 but other expenses have pushed the figure up.

David Harrison, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group, demanded an inquiry when the issue was raised at last night’s council meeting.

He said: “Great damage has been done to the reputation of this council by what has become widely known as the ‘slippery floors fiasco’”.

But Di Brooks, Cabinet member for leisure, said the issue had already been aired in public at a series of meetings.

"Most members were completely unaware of what was happening behind the scenes and recognise that there are still questions that remain unanswered."

But Di Brooks, Cabinet member for leisure, said the issue had already been aired in public at a series of meetings.

She added: "It’s clearly not in the best interest of council tax payers that we continue to use their resources to undertake further reviews on a matter which has been very publicly and independently scrutinised."

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