Council cleared by police after £1m payouts

Northumbria Police has concluded its involvement in the investigation

A review of unlawful payments made to council officers totalling more than £1m has concluded the threshold for criminal investigation has not been met.

A Northumberland County Council lawyer handed police evidence after the authority was found to have made exit payments to six managers between May 2017 and 2022 which did not have proper authorisation.

In October 2023, former council leader Peter Jackson called for an investigation into payments, claiming there had been "quite a lot of illegal activity" at the council.

But, at the latest meeting of the council's audit committee, it was announced the police had concluded its involvement in the matter.

Monitoring officer Stephen Gerrard read a letter from Northumbria Police to the meeting.

After reviewing documentary evidence for fraud, misconduct in public office or breach of the Localism Act 2011, the force found the threshold for recording and commencing a criminal investigation was not met, the meeting heard.

"This concludes the involvement of Northumbria Police in this matter," the letter read.

The council has previously been found to have made unlawful payments.

When the council's audit team revealed the unlawful payments in July 2023, council leader Glen Sanderson said the council was now in a "different" and "better place".