Council admits culture problem after £2m pavement ‘scam’

A LABOUR council has admitted that its “leadership, culture and openness” must improve as an MP accused officials of taking kickbacks in an alleged £2million pavement “scam”.

Four employees of Harrow council in north-west London were arrested last August on suspicion of fraud and abusing their position after a builder received the lucrative contract.

The officials, plus a fifth man who did not work for the council and was arrested in December, have been bailed amid a police investigation.

The issue first emerged when it became apparent that some streets had only been repaired on one side.

Arrests were subsequently made after the local authority received a covert video of an interaction between staff and a contractor that the council said “[suggests] that those involved may have received inappropriate financial benefits”.

An internal memo issued to Harrow councillors and seen by The Sunday Tel

egraph confirmed the council commissioned an internal review, which began in September 2021, into “what lessons should be learned”.

“The review will include assessment of the procurement, financial management, governance, controls and decision-making in relation to transactions which have caused concern, to include whether improvements need to be made,” the document reads.

“Recommendations for changes by the directorate or the whole council [are] to include the willingness of staff to report inappropriate behaviour, leadership, culture, management and openness.”

Also included in the scope of the review was an examination of the “structure and culture” of its Traffic Highways and Asset Management Team, which is understood to have let go a number of staff since the council was handed the whistleblower’s footage.

Bob Blackman, Tory MP for Harrow East, said he had been inundated with complaints from residents about poor quality workmanship.

This week he raised the issue in Parliament as he accused council staff of “receiving kickbacks” despite contractors “not actually doing the work”.

“A key concern is that money basically has been stolen from council taxpayers, it appears for personal gains,” he added.

Mark Spencer, the Commons leader, vowed that the Government would “take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that a good record of transparency, probity, scrutiny and accountability is maintained across councils”.

A spokesman for Harrow borough council said that the authority was “cooperating fully with the Met Police on this matter”.

‘A key concern is that money has been stolen from council taxpayers, it appears for personal gains’