SENSATIONAL allegations of conspiracy by a "senior officer" of West Somerset District Council were put to an industrial tribunal this week.

Then-chairman of the authority Cllr Anne Cave admitted on oath she believed the officer conspired to remove deputy chief executive Alan Beynon from his post.

Cllr Cave, currently chairman of the council's scrutiny committee, did not publicly name the officer concerned.

However, she accepted it was the person who was named in written evidence before the tribunal.

Cllr Cave's admission came close on the heels of an acceptance by former leading councillor Doug Ross that corruption among officers appeared to be widespread.

She answered questions put by the council's representative at the tribunal, Richard Payne, of the South West Provincial Employers organisation.

Mr Payne said the senior officer was named in a letter written by Mr Beynon, who at the time was suspended from work.

He said the conspiracy theory was also put forward by housing grants officer Colin Morley, who had been suspended and then sacked.

The tribunal was hearing Mr Morley's claim that he was unfairly dismissed.

Mr Beynon took early retirement in June last year after seven months on suspension.

Cllr Cave, who chaired a panel of councillors who dismissed Mr Morley's appeal against his sacking, said she read a four-page document about the alleged conspiracy.

She said Mr Morley identified individuals he believed to be involved in manipulating others to make allegations which created maximum disruption for the council and eventually brought about his dismissal.

Cllr Cave said Mr Morley claimed allegations that he and Mr Beynon were receiving "brown envelopes" and involved in price-fixing were part of a deliberate and orchestrated campaign by someone who had the ability to have them both suspended.

She said Mr Morley was convinced a complaint by local builder Graham Thresher was brought about as part of the campaign to create a link between himself and Mr Beynon.

Cllr Cave said Mr Morley believed Mr Thresher stood to gain between £6,500 and £8,000 from "a very senior officer" if allegations were proven.

Mr Payne said a "wealth of documentation" suggested there was a conspiracy either aimed at Mr Beynon and Mr Morley or in which the pair had been caught up.

Cllr Cave said her panel did not consider the conspiracy relevant to the appeal by Mr Morley.

Mr Payne asked: "Did you believe it?"

Cllr Cave replied: "Yes, I believed it. I believed that it was directed at a senior officer of the council who was suspended, Mr Beynon."

Mr Ross, who chaired the original disciplinary hearing at which Mr Morley was sacked, told the tribunal the conspiracy theory did not arise at that time.

However, it was said there were other officers who were responsible for allocating grants and who were at fault.

Mr Ross said it was pointed out former building control manager John Buckner was responsible for a high proportion of grant work in 1992 being awarded to one builder, Eric Prole.

He said: "It was not my place to say whether Mr Buckner was involved in some dubious practice. All I was being asked to decide was whether Mr Morley was involved."

Mr Ross accepted the council's external investigator Chris Schofield had found Mr Morley's assistant Philip Watts awarded a similarly high number of contracts to Mr Prole.

He said: "Yes, but Mr Schofield was not asked to investigate Mr Watts."

Mr Ross said he had expected other officers to be similarly investigated, but was unable to do anything about it because he lost his seat in elections two month later.

Mr Ross said the case of an extension to a council property in Claydon Close, Washford, had given cause for concern

It was alleged in a statement by builder Paul Anning that a "Mr X" at the council told him of the job and said all he had to do was give a price and the work was his.

Mr Anning claimed the schedule of works was drawn up by Mr Morley and he was told planning permission was not needed.

He claimed he quoted a price and was authorised on the spot to start work.

Mr Ross said it was suggested to the panel the officer behind the price-fixing was former building control manager John Buckner.

However, it was Mr Buckner who went along to Claydon Close and declared planning consent was required.

It seemed unlikely, therefore, Mr Buckner would make such a demand if he was in receipt of a "brown envelope", the tribunal was told.

Mr Ross said Mr Anning referred to handing money to officers and he believed Mr Morley was one of the recipients.

He said only Mr Anning's evidence supported a claim that Mr Morley had received money in return for favours.

It was clear Mr Anning got into difficulties with the job and felt "stitched up" and therefore had an axe to grind.

The disciplinary panel which investigated Mr Morley was therefore not inclined to believe Mr Anning.

"It was one person's word against another," said Mr Ross.

John Marshall, of the local government union UNISON, representing Mr Morley, said there were a number of facts to support a conspiracy theory.

He said it was known when Mr Schofield visited Mr Thresher's home to take a statement that he found a third party present.

That person was former council property services manager Robert Erskine, who was at the time suspended from his new job with Magna Housing Association and facing a criminal charge of theft from the council.

Mr Marshall said, if Mr Thresher was egged on by Mr Erskine, there was a question of what Mr Erskine had against Mr Morley.

He said Mr Erskine's wife Karen was council chief executive Colin Rockall's secretary.

The question of security of council files had been raised and it was a fact that some files and evidence had gone missing, although Mr Rockall claimed he kept the files secure in the boot of his car.

Mr Ross told the tribunal he spoke several times to Mr Rockall about the advisability of Mrs Erskine continuing to work as his secretary.

He said Mr Rockall said it would be unfair to remove her just because her husband was in trouble and he had every confidence in her professionalism and integrity.

"I went along with his judgement on the issue," he said.

Mr Ross said he believed Mr Thresher blamed his bankruptcy on Mr Beynon and not on Mr Morley.

Mr Marshall said the local government Ombudsman had investigated a complaint about the New York New York nightclub, in Minehead, and criticised the council.

Mr Ross said the Ombudsman criticised the council's file-keeping and record-keeping and mentioned file notes being added after the event.

Mr Marshall said the conspiracy theory could go some way to explaining why certain information which should be available was actually missing.

He said: "We have several pieces of the jigsaw in which these people all seem to be players, but we do not know what the final picture was."

Mr Ross expressed surprise at a claim that Mr Rockall lied to the panel which heard Mr Morley's case and personnel officer Mandy Wishart had failed to correct the statement.

He said: "I am not aware the chief executive came and told us lies. I assume the officers of the council who came before us told us the truth.

"If Mr Morley thought they were not telling the truth, it was up to them to make it clear.

"If Mr Morley thought Mr Rockall was telling lies and Mrs Wishart knew that, he could have called Mrs Wishart to give evidence to tell us.

"At no stage was I aware anybody was accusing him of telling lies."