'No confidence' in fire comment councillor

The children died in the Strathdon cottage

A police board has passed a vote of no confidence in one of its members over comments he made to the media about a report into a fatal fire in Aberdeenshire.

The motion was brought by Councillor Brian Topping's colleagues on the Grampian Joint Police Board.

They felt he could no longer be relied upon to handle confidential matters - but have no powers to throw him off the board.

Councillor Topping said afterwards that he had no intention of resigning his position.

Jack and Toby perished in the fire

The row emerged in the wake of the death of five-year-old Jack Dugan and his brother Toby, three.

They died when fire swept through their home in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire, in January.

The boys' parents, Grampian Police constable Alan Dugan, and his partner Julie Tanner, discovered part of Jack's skull and other bones when they went to the burnt-out cottage to lay a wreath a month after the fire.

The joint board decided in May not to take disciplinary procedures against assistant chief constable Adrian Ward.

The parents of the two boys were reported to be "extremely disappointed" at that decision.

Confidential matters

Board members were given details the previous month of a confidential report into the fire investigation prepared by a divisional commander with Tayside Police.

The investigation, by Chief Superintendent Clive Murray, found a series of procedural flaws in the police investigation into the fire.

Councillors from all three north-east councils represented on the police board expressed concern that their colleague could no longer be relied upon to handle confidential matters agreed by the board.

The motion brought by fellow Aberdeenshire councillor Michael Raeburn was passed by nine votes to four.

But after detailed discussion it was explained to the board that they have no power to expel Councillor Topping - who said he had no plans to quit.