A COUNCILLOR accused of helping residents queue-jump a house waiting list will be officially represented by his council's former deputy leader at a disciplinary hearing.

Full-time engineering union officer Mike Cooney will defend Lowerhouse Labour member Joe Tierney at a panel set up to hear allegations against three councillors named in a housing investigation.

Mr Cooney, a former top Labour councillor in Burnley, today described the case against union member Coun Tierney as "a nonsense" and said he would vigorously defend him when the panel of councillors meets on March 6.

He said: "I have read the housing investigation report in full and I do not think Joe has done anything wrong and there is no evidence to show he has.

"In the light of that, I completely fail to see why there should be a second investigation before a special panel." Coun Tierney is alleged to have erred from the local government code of practice on two counts - that he prejudiced the position of the council by speaking on behalf of a woman housing officer at a disciplinary hearing, and that he placed pressure on council housing officers to provide houses for people who were not on the top of the waiting list.

The investigation by council chief executive Roger Ellis shows one un-named council officer accused Coun Tierney of trying to influence decisions - an accusation he denies.

The report shows no evidence that any action by either Coun Tierney or his fellow accused, Coun Jack Alston and Coun Eddie Fisk ever resulted in anyone receiving a council house when they should not have done so or failing to receive one when they should.

The investigation, says Mr Ellis in his report, did not produce any evidence of illegality or any form of corruption by the three councillors or that any of them either sought or obtained personal advantage from their involvement in housing allocation cases.

Coun Tierney will refute the claim that his intervention at the disciplinary hearing - described by Mr Ellis as unwise, inappropriate and irresponsible - would have influenced the final outcome in any way.

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