DEMANDS are being made for an explanation into the suspension of a senior North Dorset planning official.

Development control manager Nick Fagan returned to work last week, four-and-a-half months after he was debarred on full pay.

Although he declined to give details of the allegations against him, he said he was totally shocked at the suspension.

"All I can tell you is that it was a procedural matter but it should not have lead to my suspension. It came as a complete shock," he told the Daily Echo.

"There was a disciplinary hearing and all the allegations were thrown out."

Mr Fagan, who has worked for the district council for two years, was suspended on May 21 while an internal investigation was carried out.

He added: "It has obviously been a worrying time and I don't know why the investigation took so long. I am just glad to be back at work and looking forward to getting on with my job.

"The people I work with and the councillors seem happy to see me back."

But members of Marnhull Parish Council are unhappy at the situation and are writing to chief executive Liz Goodall seeking an explanation.

Parish clerk Louise Rylatt said: "Everyone felt pretty strongly that elected members, if not the public, should know what has been going on.

"We understand that the individual has been suspended on full pay for a period of some five months. This is an inordinate length of time both in justice to the individual and in cost to the taxpayer.

"A reinstatement indicates some weakness in the charges against the individual and it would be considered that two months should be more than enough to have taken the matter to a conclusion."

The district council said it hoped to issue a statement clarifying the situation as soon as possible.

First published: Oct 11