Probe was waste of money, says mayor

The controversial mayor has been disciplined by his own council after failing to declare his membership of a pressure group that was later brought in to advise the authority on policy.

Mr Davies was a founding member of the Campaign Against Political Correctness, a body which voluntarily offered advice on cost cutting measures at Doncaster Council 18 months ago.

However, he failed to declare his interest in the group when he assumed office in June 2009 and, after a complaint was made, an investigation was launched.

The council's standards determination sub-committee has now ruled that he breached the authority's code of conduct and officially censured him over the matter.

The investigation report said the breach was an oversight rather than a deliberate act and he corrected the error immediately, but committee chairman Phillip Beavers said the responsibility to understand the code of conduct was "on his own shoulders".

Mr Davies said he admitted the error as soon as it was put to him. He claims the committee's investigation was a "waste of time and money" and he is being "persecuted".

He said: "I am annoyed that for something that was an innocent omission we have been forced to go through an extremely lengthy, costly and quite frankly inappropriate process. It has been a waste of taxpayers' money."

The investigation report stated Mayor Davies had no experience of being either an elected member or officer of any local authority and said that to take control of a council in the circumstances was an "overwhelming task".

It revealed that Mayor Davies understood the declarations to only refer to financial interests.

The report concluded: "I am satisfied the omission of the registration of the campaign was an accidental and not a deliberate omission by the mayor."