Mayor: 'Shameful episode' (From Witney Gazette)

Mayor: 'Shameful episode'

5:00pm Tuesday 20th March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

THE mayor of Witney is demanding an end to speculation over her involvement in what she has called the 'most shameful episode' in the town's history.

Chrissie Curry said the people of Witney should know what she called the 'true story of the appalling happenings' surrounding events which led to the resignation of the former town clerk, Pat Nevins.

Mrs Nevins was the subject of a council disciplinary hearing following allegations she had bullied members of staff.

But, as reported in last week's Witney Gazette, Ms Curry and town and West Oxfordshire district councillor David Harvey are facing an investigation by the Standards Board for England - the body which investigates conduct in local government - for their treatment of Mrs Nevins, and their use of a firm of private detectives to question staff, at a cost of more than £6,000, about bullying. If they are found to have acted improperly, they risk being barred from office for up to five years.

However, at the council's annual general meeting, last week, Ms Curry called for a line to be drawn under the affair.

A 'factual account of events', was then read out to the meeting by town councillor Geoff Branner.

Yet, confidential documents seen by this paper raise questions over the council's account of events.

Since it broke, the row, dubbed 'Witneygate' by former town councillor Paul Slammin, has already led to a failed vote of no confidence in Ms Curry and Mr Harvey, and the resignation of Mr Slammin and fellow Liberal Democrat David Nicholson.

The town council statement confirmed council staff had complained to the mayor of being bullied by Mrs Nevins, who had joined the council in September.

It said other 'disturbing incidents' had come to light, adding: "Acting on advice received, the town council instructed the external investigators Mission Investigations to carry out a fact finding exercise."

It said a report was then received and presented to councillors, who set up a disciplinary panel, saying: "In the interim period, Mrs Nevins had tendered her resignation on three months' notice. However, given the seriousness of the allegations against her, the council took the decision to suspend her on full pay during her notice period. Despite invitations to attend before the disciplinary panel to put forward her position, she instead responded by ending her employment prematurely before the end of her notice period or before the disciplinary panel could reach its conclusion."

It continued: "There was clear evidence of staff bullying. These included instances of intimidation and insulting behaviour, threats to staff and members, unfounded comments about staff job security, falsely reporting comments to staff allegedly made by other people, overloading and undermining staff.

"The amount of bullying and intimidation of staff was so extreme and persistent that taken together her conduct constituted gross misconduct. The panel also considered that in their opinion the evidence showed an abuse of power, a deliberate attempt to mislead the council, as well as incompetence."

Ms Curry said: "We trust that the record has now been set straight, and this can be an end to this most shameful episode in our town's proud history."

But a report by Mrs Nevins, and backed by Mr Slammin, catalogues a series of counter allegations against Ms Curry and Mr Harvey, including the removal of Mrs Nevins' rough minutebook - containing sensitive information about staff - from her office without her permission, concerns over the accuracy of information passed to the council's advisors, and an alleged failure to act on their advice by failing to secure a resolution from the council before hiring private detectives.

She says people interviewed by the detectives felt 'intimidated', and were unable to make open statements because of fears of 'reprisals' by councillors.

The Witney Gazette has also seen a copy of a letter by councillor Peter Green, which dismisses allegations raised against Mrs Nevins as 'trivialities', and says: "Rather than bullying, Mrs Nevins is a victim of the same." Mr Slammin said: "The council's statement is a very serious misrepresentation of the facts."

He said it was 'outrageous' to claim the town council had appointed Mission Investigations: "Mr Harvey and the mayor acted as rogue individuals, rather than going through committees of the council and upholding the democratic practice.

"I was a member of the personnel sub-committee, and I didn't know Mission Investigations had been appointed until after the event." He added: "They talk of bullying, but where is the evidence? It's water cooler tittle-tattle.

"They don't even address the taking of the clerk's minute book - which resides under lock and key in the clerk's office. The mayor kept it for a month, and only gave it back after I demanded its return."

Ms Curry replied: "I had special reasons for holding on to it. Nobody was misled. It was legally and legitimately done."