Ex-Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson 'has right to legal costs indemnity'

Joe Anderson stepped down from his role as Liverpool mayor following his arrest in December

The former mayor of Liverpool has said the city should pay his legal costs because that is "the norm in local government".

Joe Anderson was arrested in December over claims of bribery and witness intimidation, which he has denied.

He said a legal costs indemnity was part of the council constitution and he should have "the same right" as six other officers who benefitted from it.

The city council said his arrest was not "in the remit of the legislation".

A police investigation into allegations of fraud, bribery, corruption, misconduct in public office and witness intimidation at Liverpool City Council has seen five men, including Mr Anderson, arrested.

All five deny any wrongdoing and have not been charged with any offence.

Merseyside Police have said the men are no longer on bail, but remain under investigation.

Following the allegations, a review of the council by government inspector Max Caller led Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to propose commissioners oversee parts of the authority for at least the next three years.

The council said any individual who was later convicted would have to repay any indemnity

On Monday, the city's Labour councillors called on Mr Anderson, who was serving as mayor at the time of his arrest but has since stood down from the role, to drop his "outrageous" request for the authority to pay his costs.

In a statement, Mr Anderson said he was entitled to support as six other senior officers at the authority had "already benefitted from legal costs indemnity in criminal investigations touching upon the issues raised in Max Caller's recent report".

He said the indemnity was within the council's constitution and was "the norm in local government for elected members and officers in similar circumstances".

"Whilst I deny the allegations made against me by both Merseyside Police and Max Caller, I should be afforded that same legal costs indemnity," he added.

In response, a Liverpool City Council spokesman said the "current circumstances made known to [the authority] by Merseyside Police do not fall within the remit of the legislation".

He said no-one had been offered indemnity in regards to the police investigation of allegations of bribery, corruption and intimidation of witnesses, though one officer had "the benefit of the indemnity in relation to an allegation of misconduct in public office".

He said Mr Anderson had been "indemnified by the council" in connection with an earlier investigation by Lancashire Police and two other former officers were "currently indemnified for the same investigation".

He added that "it should be noted" that if any individual benefitting from an indemnity was "subsequently convicted of a criminal offence", the money "becomes repayable".