How much was pay-off?

AUDITORS will scrutinize Newhaven Town Council records relating to the departure of sacked town clerk Paul Archer.

As part of a routine yearly check, auditors arrived at the Fort Road council offices on Wednesday last week. Now this is complete they will look at amounts paid to Mr Archer as part of his leaving deal.

The ex-clerk left his job in January after threatening to take the council to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. He had been suspended on full pay since the summer of 2000.

No reason was given for Mr Archer s departure, or details of his settlement and the cost of independent employment consultants called in to investigate the situation.

Newhaven Mayor David Fitton confirmed this week auditors had launched an investigation as a result of complaints by people who wanted to know how much the saga had cost taxpayers. When it was complete the full cost would be made public.

The Mayor said: 'When the investigation is finished it will become a public document.

Former local councillor John Hodgson, from Peacehaven, was one of the council s fiercest critics. He said: 'Ever since the sudden departure of Paul Archer as clerk to Newhaven Town Council I have attempted to find out what this mystery has cost the council taxpayer. Approaches to the Mayor and town council met a stony silence and so I had no option but to call in the district auditor.

Throughout, town councillors have kept tight lipped about the affair, stating only that the clerk left as a result of his 'conduct of council business . There were no allegations of financial mismanagement on Mr Archer s part.

Sources close to events said friction between the clerk and some councillors lead to irreconcilable differences.

Mr Hodgson added: 'What has the council got to hide? They know for certain that this matter will not go away.

'They are merely delaying the agony as they will be held to account over this use of public money. I estimate that this episode has cost the hard-pressed taxpayer some 200,000 for a matter that could have been sorted over a cup of tea. It is nothing short of scandalous.

District auditor Peter Arkell said he could not make any specific comments while the audit was ongoing.

But he added: 'What we can say, is that during the audit we shall be looking in detail at the circumstances surrounding the departure of the town clerk.

'If the audit throws up any areas of concern, we will investigate further and report to the council as appropriate.