A COUNCIL has been challenged to reveal the truth about the departure of a former clerk after reports it has cost taxpayers over £40,000.

Northallerton resident and former member of the council David Rigby called on the Town Council to reveal the facts of the departure of clerk Susan Fraser. He says residents have the right to know what is being done with their money.

Mr Rigby, put a series of questions to the annual meeting of the Council asking if the separation was at no cost.

In response the authority issued a statement. It said: "The council is unable to answer these questions because they relate to confidential employment matters and are subject to the data protection act of 1998.”

Mrs Fraser left in September 2015 after being suspended in March following allegations of disputes with staff. A statement issued on her departure by Northallerton Town council said she had left their employment after nine years, but that she had not left as a result of unsubstantiated press reports.

Mr Rigby said a voluntary resignation or a fair, reasonable and lawful dismissal should not have cost the council a penny.

“Should the town council be content that they had dealt with the matter in a fair, reasonable and lawful way, the claim would be contested by the employer, the law would take its course and the facts and costs made public. I gather from my enquiries that this has not occurred,” said Mr Rigby.

He says this has led him to conclude that the Town Council and their legal advisers were forced to come to a compromise.

“After all it will fall directly or indirectly on the chargepayers of Northallerton. I want to know if there has been a costly compromise, are all the town councillors aware of precisely what went wrong and can charge-payers be assured that measures have been put in place to ensure there will be no further occurrences of this sort ?” he added.

He says a public apology should be made naming those responsible and if the council has nothing to hide, a simple statement on the costs along with a denial that there were any errors or omissions.

Mr Rigby is concerned that funds spent on sorting out the issue will be taken away from money available for community projects in the town.

When asked by the Northern Echo for a comment and if the costs had been more than £40,000 the council said they could not answer the questions because they relate to confidential employment matters and are subject to the data protection act.

Mrs Fraser said she could not comment.