A Rotherham councillor has called for resignations over the handling of a £65 million financial shortfall following the revelation of a “fundamental accounting error” within South Yorkshire Police’s budget.

The government is in talks with South Yorkshire Police and Mayor Oliver Coppard’s office to address the deficit, which was discovered in September.

An independent review is currently underway to uncover how the error, which went undetected for five years, was missed.

Councillor Nigel Harper, spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, confirmed during yesterday’s full council meeting in Rotherham that the review is ongoing, and the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is working with the government to assess any potential funding gaps.

placeholder image — Police in Harrogate (s)

Councillor Simon Currie questioned how such a significant oversight could occur, asking, “How do you miss such an accounting error when you’ve got a job to do?” He also raised the possibility of resignations, asking if any panel members would be held accountable.

In response, Councillor Harper, who has served on the panel since May, rejected calls for resignation over an issue that started years ago, stating, “After six months, are you asking me to resign for something that happened a number of years ago?”

“It’s too early for people to start blaming people. It’s yet to be seen where the blame for this issue lies,” he added.

Councillor Adam Carter criticized the overall oversight, saying the error highlighted a failure in the role of the Police and Crime Commissioner. “It points to a failure of the overall role, and how it doesn’t seem to be bringing the relevant expertise to the table. I’m pleased that it’s gone.

“I think the mayor isn’t in that position….to fully scrutinise this.”