COUNCIL officers have been reminded about their obligations after an investigation into payments to a senior press officer’s husband and his business.

The Northern Echo revealed last year how Vanessa Glover’s husband Andrew’s company Lush Places Media Limited was paid a total of £16,924 over a three and-a-half year period for second hand broadcasting equipment, video production, photography and media training.

Mrs Glover, who is Durham County Council’s communications and marketing manager, declared her relationship with her husband, having drawn up the specification requirements for the equipment the council’s communications team eventually bought.

But a complaint alleged the transactions, signed off by Mrs Glover's line manager, had not been subject to adequate scrutiny.

The justification for purchasing the equipment and negotiating only with Mr Glover was said to be that it was available at a “very competitive” price and had “special technical characteristics” unique to the council’s requirements.

John Hewitt, the council’s corporate director of resources, said: “The allegations have been thoroughly investigated by internal audit in accordance with the council’s procedures and were not substantiated.

“The investigation did result in a number of recommended procedural actions, including a review and re-iteration of procurement procedures and officers’ declarations of interest which have now been implemented.”

When asked if any disciplinary action had resulted, Mr Hewitt said it was inappropriate to comment on individual employee matters, but the appropriate processes had been fully followed.

Two councillors, County Councillor Owen Temple and John Shuttleworth, had referred the matter independently of each other to the council’s chief internal auditor.

Shortly after the final payments to Lush Places Media were made, in November 2013, Mr Glover’s company ceased trading and was dissolved in January the following year.

Both councillors were required to sign confidentiality agreements before they could see a copy of the full report that resulted from the investigation.

Cllr Temple, who is a member of the audit committee on the authority, said: “I am reassured that the matter has been dealt with by Durham County Council with all due seriousness.

“Not everything was done correctly [in respect of the purchases], but the council has responded in the way I would expect and hope when the matter was raised with it.”

Mrs Glover, a former presenter at Border Television, fronted the local news programme in Cumbria, Lookaround, and met her husband while both were working at the station.

Mr Glover has been a managing editor at Radio Cleveland and a producer at Look North. He moved into university lecturing after the demise of Lush Places Media.