NO action is likely to be taken against Skipton's mayor Richard Colley after a complaint that he voted for a £10,000 grant to be awarded to a company which employed his wife.

Fellow Skipton town councillor Paul Whitaker called for an investigation into Coun Colley, deputy mayor Polly English and her husband Coun Paul English.

He claimed they were involved in discussions and voting on a grant for the Tourist Information Centre (TIC) when they had pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests.

All three voted for a £10,000 donation to the privately-owned TIC in November 1999.

At a finance meeting last week, Coun Whitaker claimed that they should have declared an interest as Coun Colley's wife, Margaret, worked for the TIC, and Couns English were good friends with Jean Philip, who was manager until recently.

Coun Whitaker said: "His name (Coun Colley) is being shown on recorded votes where he himself has a pecuniary interest."

The Jackson Partnership took over the running of the TIC last April and Mrs Colley was manager from April to October 1999 but relinquished the position voluntarily and is now working there part time.

The National Code of Local Government Conduct states: "The law makes specific provision requiring you to disclose both direct and indirect pecuniary interests (including those of a spouse with whom you are living) which you may have in any matter coming before the council, a committee or a sub-committee. It prohibits you from speaking or voting on that matter."

It adds: "Interests which are not pecuniary can be just as important. You should not allow the impression to be created that you are, or may be, using your position to promote a private or personal interest rather than forwarding the general public interest."

Coun Whitaker called for an investigation but was told that although the Ombudsman did not investigate matters at parish council level, the clerk would look into procedures.

Deputy secretary of the Yorkshire Local Councils Association John Juckes said the councillors had no case to answer and the Director of Public Prosecutions would only look at claims where any councillor would gain personally from the vote.

"We cannot see anything of any substance in this case. In this situation none of the councillors involved have clearly done something that they should not," he added.

Mr Juckes said the Englishs' relationship with the TIC was too remote to have to declare any interest.

He added that declaring an interest was a personal thing and it was still a grey area. He said that the council was not accountable to the Ombudsman or the YLCA and the only way to check the validity of an interest was to seek a judicial review.

Coun Colley told the finance meeting last week that he had asked the previous clerk whether he had needed to declare an interest and was told he did not.

When new clerk Andrea Adams took over in August last year, he continued to follow the advice he had been given.

Later he suspected he might have an indirect connection to the TIC and was advised by Mrs Adams to declare the interest. He did not declare any interest when the vote to award the grant was taken in November.

"It is more a naivety rather than a wilful disregard of the rules," Mrs Adams said.

In a statement to the Craven Herald, Coun Colley said: "My wife's employment at the TIC was no secret and most, if not all, councillors were well aware of it. I have had no additional personal gain as a result of my previous non-declaration of this indirect pecuniary interest."

He asked why these accusations had not arisen before when the grant had been awarded some time ago.

"It all stems from the result of the annual general meeting on May 18 where Councillor Whitaker's partner, Coun Marcia Turner, was not elected as mayor. Other councillors will draw their own conclusions," he said.

Coun Paul English has demanded a full public apology from Coun Whitaker.