OFFICERS “sat” on a report in a “deliberate attempt to hide” it, a councillor claimed as he continued his fight to get to the bottom of alleged grant scheme irregularities in Pembroke Dock.

After Pembrokeshire County Council agreed to write to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) about delays in investigating irregular payments uncovered by Cllr Mike Stoddart, it took a further five weeks to contact them.

Cllr Stoddart raised the issue again at Thursday’s (October 11) full council meeting, asking for the leader to explain the delay in actioning the resolution relating to the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock Commercial Property Grant Scheme.

Council leader Cllr David Simpson agreed that the timescale was unacceptable and would not happen again.

Cllr Mike Stoddart also asked what the response had been from the IOPC and was told that in May the council was told there was not further merit investigating the delay and a charging decision was still awaited from the CPS.

Cllr Stoddart said the five page letter from the police arrived on May 10, the day of full council, but it was not announced at annual council the following day, and a 29 day deadline for appeal was missed.

“Councillors could then decide if they were satisfied with the response and could have appealed but we were kept in the dark, “he said.

“Officers in this council sat on that report, it wouldn’t have come to this meeting if I hadn’t asked the question. It’s, in my opinion, a deliberate attempt to hide this response from members,” he added.

Cllr Simpson agreed members should have had the letter sooner and had the opportunity to respond to it adding “there’s no attempt whatsoever to hide anything.”

He said that he would “do my best to see it dosen’t happen again.”

A meeting between the leader and Cllr Stoddart would be arranged to discuss matters further.

Cllr Jacob Williams called for the matter to be referred to scrutiny for further investigation and was told he could place it on the agenda of the committee he sat on.

Cllr Stoddart’s evidence that around £60,000 was paid to developer Cathal McCosker – in respect of properties on Dimond Street and Meyrick Street – was reported to police in 2014.

Mr McCosker offered to pay back a total of £180,000 having received payments for other projects and the council had to pay back £309,000 to the Welsh European Funding Office.