A TORY candidate in next week's local elections is being investigated for leaking a financially sensitive council document to a businessman and for trying to undermine a fellow Conservative candidate at the ballot box. Cllr Mike Padgett, who is hoping to retain his Porlock seat on West Somerset Council and is also standing for Minehead Town Council, is facing two separate investigations for alleged misconduct. He has been reported to the Standards Board for England for divulging confidential and commercially sensitive information to "best friend" and local businessman John Addicott. Mr Addicott, who owns chartered surveyors, valuers, auctioneers and estate agents Chanin and Thomas, is himself a Tory candidate in the forthcoming election, standing in Minehead Town Council's Minehead North Ward alongside Cllr Padgett. Cllr Padgett is also under investigation by his own party for offering to help an independent candidate unseat Tory colleague and chairman of the Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency Conservative Association, Cllr Bryan Leaker, who currently represents Dunster on the district council. The Free Press has been given a recording in which Cllr Padgett admits to passing a confidential council report on the sale of the closed Parsons Street toilets in Porlock to Mr Addicott. He is also heard offering to print full colour election leaflets for independent Dunster ward candidate Julie Harvey Smith at "minimum cost" for "£50 quid, £20 quid, anything you like" to help her campaign against Cllr Leaker. He also tries to give Porlock independent candidate Jon Freeman - who is challenging Cllr Padgett for a seat on the district council and is also Ms Harvey Smith's partner - "information" on Cllr Leaker to help Ms Harvey Smith's chances in the forthcoming election. In return, he suggests Mr Freeman could announce that he had decided not to stand in Porlock or could make little effort canvassing in the village. The recording was made at a private meeting between Cllr Padgett, independent Watchet district and town councillor David Banks and Mr Freeman. The meeting, which took place in the garden of Cllr Padgett's home in Selworthy at Easter, was brokered in a Minehead pub between Cllrs Padgett and Banks. Mr Freeman said he had decided to record the meeting for his own protection after being told Cllr Padgett would help his partner give Cllr Leaker "a run for his money". He said he feared he was being set up and had not intended to make the recording public until Cllr Padgett admitted leaking financially sensitive confidential council information. He told the Free Press: "My partner, Julie, immediately said she wanted nothing to do with the meeting but I admit I went along out of curiosity. "I thought long and hard about whether I should make this recording public, as I was determined to fight a clean campaign. "However, I believe morally I had no alternative but to send a copy of the recording to the Bridgwater and West Somerset Constituency Conservative Association and to alert people to what was going on." On the recording, both Cllrs Padgett and Banks make a series of remarks and allegations about Cllr Leaker, variously describing him as a "bully" and "pompous", with Cllr Banks asking: "Where do you think Leaker's megalomania is going to end up?" Cllr Leaker, in his capacity as chairman of the constituency association, said he had received a copy of the recording and was surprised by the vicious, personal attack on his character. He said the chairman of the Somerset Conservatives, Bath-based Grant Ferrie, had been appointed to conduct an official investigation into Cllr Padgett's apparent attempt to help an independent candidate to the detriment of a fellow Tory. Cllr Leaker said: "A copy of the recording has been sent to Mr Ferrie as it is not appropriate for me to carry out the investigation as I am involved in this." The investigation, which was expected to get underway this week, is likely to take between two and three weeks to reach a conclusion. Later in the recording, Cllr Padgett admits that Cllr Leaker is "incorruptible, that's the sad part". Cllr Padgett suggests Ms Harvey Smith should exploit Cllr Leaker's alleged unpopularity and the fact he does not live in the village. Mr Freeman is heard telling Cllr Padgett his partner also lives outside the ward but is reassured she is an "alternative" to the official Tory candidate. Cllr Padgett claims there is "no alternative in Porlock" and earlier in the meeting says that "you could put a monkey in a blue shirt in Porlock. It's hunting, shooting, it's Conservative". He then blames Mr Freeman for making him "work" by having to canvass potential voters in Porlock after previously being uncontested in the last district council elections. The Porlock ward has two seats and three candidates - Cllr Angela Palmer is also standing for election. Cllr Padgett reveals that even if he is elected "that's it" if the Tories do not gain overall control of the district council and he is not given the chairmanship of the licensing committee. The meeting concludes with Cllr Padgett's admission that he photocopied a confidential council document and faxed it to Mr Addicott, who he states is his "best friend". He claims he has done nothing wrong as the papers were in the "public arena" at the time he sent them to Mr Addicott. However, Stacey Beaumont, West Somerset Council's media and public relations officer, this week confirmed the document in question was still confidential. The item was discussed in closed session at a cabinet meeting without the press and public present and the report remains on what the council describes as "pink paper", namely private. Cllr Padgett said on the recording: "I waited until cabinet was over, knowing it was then in the public arena. "I had to apologise to Tim Howes [district council chief executive]. I got my legs rapped. "All I got was a b******ing from Tim Howes, saying 'Michael, although it wasn't photocopied on pink paper Michael, you were out of order' and that was it. I put my hand up." On Wednesday this week, Mr Howes declined to comment specifically on Cllr Padgett's claims. Mr Howes said: "All matters of this nature follow the procedures within the council's ethical framework which would include informing the Standards Board if appropriate. "Figures are confidential until the sale is completed." Mr Addicott, when asked for his comments on Cllr Padgett's claims relating to the leak of confidential information, said: "I have no knowledge of what you are talking about. "I have no knowledge of any wrong doing. I have never knowingly been passed any information of a confidential nature." Independent Dulverton and Brushford candidate Cllr Keith Ross told the Free Press this week that he had reported Cllr Padgett to local government watchdog the Standards Board for England for divulging exempt information. He said that, having heard the relevant part of the recording, he considered Cllr Padgett's actions to be in breach of both the council and national codes of conduct. He said he had no other option, particularly in the light of the latest edition of The Crier freesheet, which is owned and published by Cllr Padgett. The front page story claims independent candidates and their supporters could be investigated for "electoral fraud" after receiving the backing of pressure group Direct, which the freesheet claims is a front for Liberal Democrats - a claim staunchly denied by the group. The story reports that Direct chairman Arthur Phillips has published posters and "other literature" urging local residents to vote for independent candidates, but that, as Mr Phillips is not an election agent, his actions could be in breach of electoral regulations. It accuses independent candidates of misleading the electorate by actually being part of a "collective political movement", although Direct has always distanced itself from any political allegiance. A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said there was nothing illegal about independent candidates campaigning together, and candidates could call themselves whatever they liked in the their election literature. She said candidates did have to declare any assistance they had received as election expenses, but that any "third party" could help any candidate in the forthcoming elections. She added: "The article in The Crier did not accurately reflect the information that we provided. "Any allegations of malpractice should be referred to the police, our role is to explain the rules." Numerous attempts by the Free Press to contact Cllr Padgett about the recording were unsuccessful. However, a letter received on his behalf from solicitors confirmed the meeting had taken place. Cllr Banks declined to comment "at this stage".