AN official complaint has been lodged over the allegation that a senior Bournemouth council officer tampered with councillors’ surf reef report.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Roger West has asked chief executive Pam Donnellan to investigate whether executive director Tony Williams broke any rules in altering the final report of the task and finish group.

Cllr West claims Mr Williams refused to accept the unanimous decision of the group, which was that ASR be given the opportunity to return to Bournemouth and try and improve the reef’s performance but does not receive any of the £150,000 retainer until the reef meets the agreed performance criteria.

Instead, he said Mr Williams presented them with a report recommending that ASR be paid £77,500 to come back and carry out their proposals.

“How dare he try to brow beat us to agree to something which we regard as being contrary to the best interests of the council?” his complaint asks.

“He also used scaremongering tactics regarding any other option than the one he, Tony Williams, proposed.

“It is the councillors who are responsible for our actions to our residents. This action by Tony Williams is wrong and must be contrary to our officers’ code of conduct.”

The end result was that councillors at Tuesday night’s scrutiny panel were presented with a report that stated both the councillors’ and the officers’ point of view.

But at the meeting, the members of the task and finish group expressed their concern that this effectively “watered-down” their findings.

Cllr Ben Grower said: “It is not for officers to amend a report written by members and insert their own point of view.”

And Cllr Mike Everingham called the investigation “a total sham”. “I believe that this has been carried out in order to mislead members of this panel so that officers can achieve a political solution as a means of a cover up of the inadequacies of officers who have failed miserably to protect the £3million of taxpayers’ money.”

Chief executive Pam Donnellan said: “As with any complaint against a council officer this is an internal matter and I have confirmed to Cllr West that I have received his complaint and will be looking into it.”