A COUNCILLOR is to shed light on a secret inquiry into the letting of uPVC window works - by sending the full report to every councillor in Burnley.

Independent group leader Harry Brooks won a town hall investigation last year when he questioned the way the shut-down council works had been leased to a private company, without the contract being advertised openly. The findings were never made public and at last week's policy committee Coun Brooks said the District Auditor had ducked the issue when he raised it with him at his annual meeting with councillors.

He told the committee: "This was a serious incident of management failure, inefficiency and ineptitude but the District Auditor said he had not read the report and would not like to comment."

"I will circulate the full report to all my fellow councillors and we will find a way of debating this properly.

"I believe it is the right of all members to be informed."

Council chief executive Roger Ellis said the issue involved a former senior officer of the authority and the inquiry report gave only one side of the story and did not contain mitigating circumstances or the officer's side of the story.

Mr Ellis said there was no evidence of fraud or corruption and he advised that the matter was better left.

"We cannot reopen this without going into matters which should remain confidential."

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