THREE workers have been suspended from a council highways depot amid allegations of misconduct.
The members of staff at the Whalley Depot, Riddings Lane, were told of the action on Friday following an investigation by auditors.
The depot is managed by the Lancashire County Commercial Group on behalf of the county council. It is one of 12 sites maintaining the county's roads and includes a £3m-a-year service to grit roads.
It is understood the investigation was into details of contracts handled by the depot.
A Lancashire County Council spokesman confirmed that the probe centred on 'discrepancies found in an audit'.
Nigel Finnamore, director of Lancashire County Commercial Group, said: “When serious allegations are made, it is normal practice to suspend staff while an investigation is carried out. I can’t comment further while the investigation is taking place.”
Council bosses have not revealed how long the investigation into the alleged misconduct may take.
A police spokesman said they were not involved in the probe.
In 2006, a new salt dome was unveiled at the Whalley Depot to help fill the area's gritter wagons. Built to house 2,500 tonnes of salt, the £195,000 development is used by gritters to serve 400km of highways in the Ribble Valley, Burnley and Pendle.
The Lancashire County Commercial Group runs the coucil's commercial services, such as gritting, school and civic catering, cleaning and school crossings.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article