Veto 'vendetta' councillors urged

The open letter was sent to all the councillors

An open letter has been sent to Anglesey county councillors asking them to oppose a "vendetta" against the council's managing director.

Opposition leader John Chorlton's letter comes days before the Auditor General for Wales begins an inspection of how the council is run.

Mr Chorlton claims council leader Phil Fowlie and Coun Bob Parry told him they wanted to end Derrick Jones' contract.

The council spokesperson said the authority was unable to comment.

The auditor general will make his inspection after a report criticised the conflict between some of the council's ruling executive and senior officers in the authority.

Members of the public have been asked for their views on the matter too.

Coun Chorlton claims that some councillors want to "get rid of" the managing director, and he told BBC Wales that he was recently called to a meeting with the leaders of the ruling coalition.

He said that council leader, Phil Fowlie, from the original independent group, and his Plaid Cymru deputy, Bob Parry, arranged the meeting to inform him of their intention to bring Mr Jones' contract to an early end.

On Tuesday Mr Fowlie told the BBC: "We are not currently in a position to comment on councillor Chorlton's claims nor his letter."

Coun Chorlton's strongly worded letter, which councillors received in the post on Tuesday morning, comes days before three council meetings are held where "terms of agreement" or "terms of settlement" are included on the agenda.

The press and public will be excluded when the matters are discussed.

The "open letter to all Anglesey councillors" written by Mr Chorlton and obtained by BBC Wales, says: " Mr Jones has done nothing wrong other than his job but is the victim in my opinion of a small group of ........ councillors who are on the path of vendetta against those who are willing to stand up to them.

"You will find that he is but the first in a long line of officers that these councillors want to get rid ........... It will be impossible given our public image to find a suitable replacement."

The letter goes on to urge opposition:" You must not allow this to go through in your name because at the end of the day, they cannot do anything without your support and more important your vote.

"So please stand up and at least ask the question why with his contract running out next year would you want to pay somebody several thousand pounds and a pension when you can let him go with some dignity, for nothing in a very short space of time."

A spokesperson for the authority told the BBC: "We are not in a position to make a comment on Councillor Chorlton's letter."