Former Leicestershire County Council leader David Parsons 'still to pay back £4k'

Officials say former county council leader David Parsons has still to settle a debt of more than £4,000.

Officers at County Hall have been pursuing Councillor Parsons for the £4,089.84 cost of chauffeuring him to and from airports for European trips he made as council leader.

They said he claimed the money from the EU Committee of the Regions, on which he sat while leader, but did not then reimburse Leicestershire County Council as he should have.

He was invoiced for the sum in October, but as of yesterday afternoon, it had not been paid.

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Councillor Parsons was not available for comment.

However, a report, to be considered by the council's corporate governance committee tomorrow, said he had appointed solicitors who were resisting the claim "on various grounds".

The council had previously threatened to launch legal proceedings against its former leader.

Coun Parsons quit as leader in July after he was censured by the council's standards committee over travel expenses he claimed but then failed to promptly reimburse to the authority.

He subsequently quit County Hall's Tory group and announced he would not seek re-election as member for the Kirby Muxloe and Leicester Forest East division in May

Though he has paid back £2,300, the £4,089.84 remains outstanding.

The report said: "The council has pointed out Mr Parsons has been unjustly enriched by the use of the county council's vehicle and has failed to uphold various codes of conduct.

"The view of the county solicitor is that the claim against Mr Parsons is a valid claim which should succeed for the majority of the amount."

The Mercury asked the council to clarify what that meant but it issued a statement saying only: "We're involved in ongoing negotiations but haven't ruled out legal action.

"No payments have been received in relation to the £4,089."

Councillor David Snartt, chairman of the corporate governance committee, said: "It seems the matter is going between lawyers.

"My opinion is it is something that needs to be done.

"It is sad it has taken so long because none of it reflects very well on the council."