Dorset Council fired 11 council officers due to concerns over a lack of compliance with financial controls and rising budget overspends, a report has revealed.
The staff members were brought in to sort out health and safety issues in council buildings in 2022 but were let go in September last year.
The initial budget for the health and safety project was £4m but costs rose to £13m over two years without cabinet approval, a funding strategy, or a documented business case.
An independent investigation found evidence of ‘illegal activity or fraud’ and ‘potential obfuscation and dishonesty by council officers.’
Cllr Nick Ireland, leader of Dorset Council, said that since the issue was initially discovered the council has put in place a ‘robust action plan’ to deliver improvements.
Interim chief executive Sam Crowe added: ‘As the council's leadership team, we take full responsibility for addressing what went wrong and ensuring it cannot happen again.’
A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: 'We are in communication with Dorset Council to explore any investigative opportunities.'
