Joe Anderson: Lancashire Police no longer investigating ex-mayor

There will be no further investigation of Mr Anderson under Operation Sheridan

Former Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson is no longer under investigation by Lancashire Police, the force confirmed.

Mr Anderson was interviewed under caution four years ago during a probe into alleged financial impropriety.

Operation Sheridan investigated a £5m tender awarded to One Connect Ltd, a joint venture between Lancashire County Council and BT.

Mr Anderson and three other men have been told they are no longer being investigated, the force added.

The investigation, which was launched in 2013, related to allegations of financial irregularities over the tendering of the One Connect contract, which included running the council's fleet of vehicles.

'No further action'

In 2017 Liverpool City Council's then chief executive, Ged Fitzgerald, was arrested in connection with the same probe, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Mr Fitzgerald, who resigned the following year, was questioned along with the former boss of Liverpool Council's BT joint venture, David McElhinney, ex city finance chief Phil Halsall, and former Lancashire County Council leader Geoff Driver.

They all denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, Lancashire Police said the force had "written to four men to tell them they are no longer under investigation as part of Operation Sheridan".

It added: "The four, aged 64, 68, 66 and 62, were contacted last month and told they would face no further action.

"On completion of the investigation, we referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who are currently considering potential offences in relation to four other individuals."

The force said those individuals were men, aged 60, 61, 63, and 77.

A CPS spokesman said they had received "a file of material" from police "on which we are now conducting a review, as well as advising the police on further reasonable lines of enquiry".

Mr Anderson was arrested in December 2020 as part of a different inquiry - Merseyside Police's Operation Aloft - an investigation into building and development contracts in Liverpool.

He then stepped aside from his council role and took the local authority to court in a bid to have it fund his legal costs.

He denies all wrongdoing.

In February, Liberal Democrat leaders in Liverpool and Lancashire called on the chief constables in both forces to "speed up" both investigations.