Hadleigh's project officer Alicja Barnes acted unlawfully when she took part in voting during sub-committee discussions about the Layham Road Sports Ground, it has been revealed.

It emerged during a full Hadleigh town council meeting last night, that Babergh's monitoring office warned the mayor Gordon McLeod and the town clerk Wendy Brame, about the unlawfulness but they pressed ahead with an agenda item regardless.

Hadleigh town council were advised to seek further advice before discussing the Layham Road Sport Ground item at full council, but that advice was ignored.

Despite being warned of the unlawful actions Cllr McLeod insisted on pushing ahead and told councillors 'he had no truck' with the advice.

Cllr McLeod was accused of covering up the improper behaviour by not sharing the legal advice sent by Babergh's monitoring officer with fellow councillors but, while he agreed he was well aware the council and the project officer had been advised they had acted unlawfully, he shrugged off the cover up the claim by saying 'sobeit'.

Cllr McLeod 'has no truck;' with legal advice that council acted unlawfully

Town councillor and Hadleigh United football club treasurer Rolf Beggerow spoke in favour of making the application, although admitted all the figures were just estimates and the council could end up having to borrow money, or use all its reserves, to pay for the project to be completed.

Despite all the red flags, Hadleigh council voted to allow the project and finance officer Ms Barnes to commit Hadleigh tax-payers by signing a contract with the Football Foundation and apply for funding with a hope of getting a good percentage towards the final cost, with three objections.

More to follow...