DUP councillor Jenny Palmer claims DSD buried Nelson McCausland report

DUP councillor Jenny Palmer claims the Department of Social Development has buried a report that was completed a year ago

A DUP councillor at the centre of a controversy over Nelson McCausland's handling of the Housing Executive has claimed the Department of Social Development "buried" a report into it.

Jenny Palmer said that she felt "cheated".

She told BBC NI's Spotlight last year she had been phoned by Mr McCausland's special adviser, Stephen Brimstone.

Ms Palmer said she had been asked to change the way she was to vote at a Housing Executive board meeting.

The head of the civil service subsequently ordered the Department of Finance to carry out a fact-finding exercise into the conduct of the DUP minister's special adviser.

Nelson McCausland was at the centre of a political row

The BBC has seen a written submission to the assembly's social development committee in which Ms Palmer said she fully complied with the review, which was completed a year ago, and was assured that she would be given a copy.

To date, she said she had had no feedback, telling the committee: "I gave two hours of my time to facilitate this review and feel cheated that it has been buried somewhere within DSD (Department of Social Development)."

So far, the DSD has not responded to her claims.