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Dewsbury Press, 29th February 2008 Officials are investigating claims a council worker is using his office at Cleckheaton Town Hall to run his activities as a Leeds councillor. Robert Finnegan, who works for Kirklees Council’s Benefits Advice Service, is also a Leeds City councillor for Morley North. In the January edition of ‘Outer South News’, an official Leeds City Council newsletter, Mr Finnegan’s contact phone number was given as his direct line at Cleckheaton Cash and Information Office in the town hall. Kirklees Council’s BNP leader Coun David Exley (Heckmondwike) has made a complaint to Kirklees chief executive Rob Vincent and council leader Robert Light. Coun Exley said: “He has listed his works landline number for his political business, which I feel is misuse of council facilities. “And of course while he is using it for his own political reasons he is not working for Kirklees – which he is being paid to do. “I first discovered this last Friday and in my opinion he needs to be immediately suspended pending an inquiry into his activities at the town hall.” Mr Finnegan leads the Morley Borough Independent Group on Leeds City Council and said: “It’s a cock-up, I’ll hold my hands up to that. “I wasn’t consulted on what phone number was going in and the rest of them will be pulped. “But this is politically-motivated, the BNP bully and harass us in Morley constantly and it looks like there’s been a bit of cross-border co-operation here. “I’m due to finish my job with Kirklees Council in a few weeks anyway, and the harassment from the BNP doesn’t help.” The Press understands Mr Finnegan has now reported Coun Exley to the council’s standards board for “harassment”. A Kirklees spokesman said: “The issues raised by Coun Exley are being looked into by the council’s senior director responsible for the service.” |
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