Mr Pook Head of Legal Services Rutland County Council

in order of fairness I have in the past said Mr Pook head of legal services at RCC was sacked from his job and the money saved was used to pay for 6 road sweepers.

I must state he did go onto win his case

£32,000 was paid to him.



FORMER chief executive Geoff Pook won a £32,000 payout over the abrupt end to his Erewash council career.

The cash deal was agreed shortly before he was due to argue his case at an industrial tribunal.

The Labour-led authority decided to allow his contract to expire.

Solicitor Mr Pook, now head of legal services at Rutland County Council, doing a splendid job supporting the old style conservative bullies, spent 14 years with Erewash.

in the press at the time He said: I am pleased the matter has now been settled enabling me to move forward from what was obviously a very disappointing experience.

It has been a year in the settling and that was obviously a difficult year from my point of view.

I felt I left the job half done and it would have been better for me to carry on through a particularly challenging time.

Labour council leader Cyril Stevens said: It has been settled out of court quite amicably.

The dispute featured in the annual report from the district auditor Phil Jones, whose team checks the workings of local councils.

In his letter to councillors before the payout was decided, Mr Jones pointed out that the council still had no permanent chief officer.

He urged the council to swiftly settle its management structure and wrote: Interim arrangements have had a demoralising effect on staff.

Mr Jones pointed out that more delays could harm council services.

But coun Stevens said 67% of people were satisfied with Erewash council, according to a recent independent survey.

He said they were close to re-arranging the management of the authority.

But he came under attack over the way Mr Pook s departure was handled.

Tory finance spokesman John Brown said: The council looked silly because it misjudged things.

The ratepayers cough up in the end and this is a waste of public money.

The affair was mishandled and the cost to the ratepayer is a lot more than we were originally promised.

I find it sad all round and Mr Pook has suffered a great disruption in his personal life.

Although he now has a full-time job, he is having to travel 30 or 40 miles.