TWO former NCP employees at the centre of a "fake photograph" investigation will soon learn if they are to be prosecuted.

The man and woman were arrested and interviewed by Bury police in connection with perverting the course of justice.

A file was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and officers are waiting to hear whether the two ex-wardens are to be charged. They are currently on police bail.

A full-scale inquiry was launched by Bury Council and NCP in January after the local authority was accused of using "questionable" evidence by a parking adjudicator.

She upheld an appeal by motorist Kevin McGuire against a £60 penalty ticket in Market Place last August. The adjudicator concluded that two council-submitted appeal photographs were identical, but that the date on one of them had been altered.

Later, it was disclosed that one NCP employee resigned during the inquiry, while another was dismissed for gross misconduct. Mr McGuire received a full written apology from NCP.

In January, the council's environment and transport executive member Councillor Stella Smith declined Tory demands for her to resign and the five-year contract with NCP to be ripped up.

This week, borough engineer Mike Cannon said the council's own investigation had cleared its staff of any wrong-doing. But bosses have tightened up procedures and introduced an extra "vetting" check on cases going to the parking adjudicator.

On the future of the NCP contract, Mr Cannon said there were provisions for penalty points if the company's performance fell below certain standards. The right to terminate would depend on whether NCP's performance was so poor that it went to the heart of the contract.

Once the police investigation is concluded, a full, thorough and detailed report will go before councillors.