'Unlawful' bus ad of mayor and dog cost £10,000

The images were part of a promotion plan for a free Birthday Buses travel scheme

A local authority "unlawfully" spent £10,000 of taxpayers money on covering a bus with pictures of a Metro Mayor and his dog, a report has revealed.

A First Bus was wrapped in giant pictures of the West's mayor Dan Norris with his pet to promote a free Birthday Buses travel scheme.

But since Weca interim chief executive Richard Ennis raised concern in April and removed the bus from public view, the report has deemed the images as unlawful self-promotion.

Dan Norris has defended himself, saying mayors are "meant to be visible".

The report states, when the mayor made the decision, "officers did not consider the need to check or discuss this with anyone within the Combined Authority.

"Nor did they consider the need to follow the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) expected control processes," it said.

"Imagery associated with the Metro Mayor should be merely ‘incidental’ to the main purpose of the spending.

"Instead, the wrap appears to explicitly seek to affect public support of the Metro Mayor."

It goes on to explain the images appear to have been used as a "personal brand or motif, appearing prominently in several articles featuring the Metro Mayor but, importantly, in the context of political campaigning platforms".

Recommendations from the report included the review and improvement of "budget responsibilities and internal control mechanisms around expenditure within the 'Mayoral Office'".

'Meant to be visible'

Mr Norris has said he welcomed the changes that had "already been put in place" and others that need to be completed by the spring.

"When Labour first introduced directly elected mayors, the whole point was to have a face that the public could identify as being responsible and accountable for the policies that were being promoted and introduced.

"I remain steadfast in my view that mayors are meant to be visible and this was stated in my election manifesto on which I won. "

An emergency WECA meeting has been called for next week to discuss the issue.