BOURNEMOUTH’S former council leader will face a public hearing next Thursday following the revelations that pornographic images were found on his council computer.

Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin, who last month resigned as council leader, will appear before three members of the Standards Committee.

But although Bournemouth council has published the agenda for the meeting, questions have been asked as to why it has not released the investigator’s report.

This report is classified as a background document, which the press and the public have the right to see. But the Daily Echo’s request to see this report was refused.

When asked about this issue, Roy Wardle, the independent chair of the Standards Committee, confirmed the change in procedure also came as a surprise to him.

Cllr MacLoughlin’s hearing will centre on the fact that a limited amount of top shelf adult images were found on his computer during a routine service in December 2008.

The matter did not come to light until October 2009, when the council confirmed to the Daily Echo that Cllr MacLoughlin had previously been subject to a private, internal investigation.

The hearing will begin at 9.30am in the Town Hall and will start with the official investigator presenting his report and answering any questions posed by Cllr MacLoughlin and the sub-committee.

The head of the council’s IT department will then give evidence before Cllr MacLoughlin presents his case and calls any witnesses.

After being questioned by the sub-committee, Cllr MacLoughlin will then have the right to make final representations before the sub-committee retires to consider whether the code of conduct applied to Cllr MacLoughlin and if so, whether it had been breached.

They will announce their decision in public. If they find that the code was breached then both the investigator and Cllr MacLoughlin will be asked to comment on the issue of what sanction should apply.