Investigation over hoax email to the council is shelved (From The Bolton News)

Investigation over hoax email to the council is shelved

9:41am Monday 6th July 2009 in

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POLICE have shelved an investigation into claims that someone sent Bolton Council a hoax resignation email in the name of an Astley Bridge councillor.

Last month, Bolton Council announced that Cllr Stuart Lever, a Conservative, had resigned his position.

But an investigation was launched after Cllr Lever, who owns U Drive vehicle hire in Blackburn Road, said he was not behind the email — sent from an online Hotmail account.

Officers from Greater Manchester Police identified the internet service provider used to access the account but cannot take it forward because it isn’t possible to identify who had set up the account.

Bolton Council chief executive Sean Harriss told councillors that he would look at the authority’s “procedures and processes” as a result of the complaint.

Cllr Lever, who has represented Astley Bridge for the last 10 years, said: “I am really upset that the police haven’t been able to identify who did this because I have been through all manner of stress since this saga started.

“The police have done as much as they can but I still wonder why someone would want to do this. The council originally accepted the resignation, which I don’t think they should have done, but I am still a councillor so the person who did it has got nothing from it.”

Cllr John Walsh, leader of the Conservatives on Bolton Council, said he still hoped someone would own up.

He said: “It is a very disturbing set of circumstances and I do hope that some honesty will prevail. This investigation will have cost a lot of public money and a lot of time so I am disappointed we have not had a resolution.

“A lot of people have been distracted from the key issues by this and at least now we can get on with the job in hand.”

Police confirmed officers were no longer investigating.

andrew.greaves@ theboltonnews.co.uk