KEIGHLEY Town Council has been subjected to a "tirade of abuse" it did not deserve, according to a former member.

Councillor Brian Morris, a Keighley West ward district councillor, was commenting after a police fraud probe concluded the town council had committed no criminal offences.

He said decent councillors and council staff had left the organisation because they could no longer carry out their duties in such a hostile atmosphere.

Cllr Morris added: "Words such as corrupt, illegal and unlawful, amongst others, have been used in reporting of the town council.

"Individual councillors have been accused of various matters, one called 'dictatorial' and another a 'liar', to name a couple.

"But it has now been proven beyond doubt there was nothing, I repeat nothing, illegal about the activities of the council."

West Yorkshire Police confirmed last week its fraud investigation had uncovered no evidence of criminal activities.

MP Kris Hopkins, who had called for the investigation after external auditors blasted the council's governance and accounting practices, welcomed the police findings.

He pointed out that while officers had found no evidence of crimes, they did conclude the council had acted "outside the law", in cases where decisions and actions were made outside the powers of the committee or individual making them.

However, Cllr Morris said either something was illegal or it was not.

"When a council uses the wrong section, it does not make it either illegal or outside the law," he argued. "It means simply what it says, and as long as a section exists that permits the actions taken, then it is legal."

Responding to Ingrow resident Elizabeth Mitchell, of parishioners group Cavetown Council, who said the affair suggested it was time for the Government to reinstate an Ombudsman to oversee town and parish councils, he said he agreed such a role would be worthwhile.

"As to an ombudsman I, for one, would welcome it," Cllr Morris added. "It would at least stop interference by people with nothing better to do.

"This has cost the town a number of excellent, hard-working and experienced councillors and staff, who could not continue working under the atmosphere of distrust that prevailed. I hope those who have replaced them are just as dedicated."

Cllr Morris, who served on the town council from 2007 to 2014, said the external audit and police investigation had both cost thousands of pounds of public money.

"Perhaps an ombudsman would be in a position to reclaim [this money] from those who make spurious complaints at a cost to the public purse," he said.

l See this week's letters on pages 12 and 13 for further comment on this story