VETERAN Blaenau Gwent councillor Brian Scully has been suspended by Welsh Labour, after being referred by his own council leader to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Cllr Scully, who has been a Labour representative on the council, serving the Badminton ward in Ebbw Vale, and on a predecessor council for more than 40 years, has been referred to the Ombudsman by Cllr Hedley McCarthy.

He has also stepped down from his council role as executive member for economic strategy and development.

The details of the referral have not been revealed and no-one from the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ office was available to comment at the time of going to press.

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: “Following Blaenau Gwent council leader Hedley McCarthy’s referral of Cllr Brian Scully to the local government ombudsman, Welsh Labour have suspended Cllr Scully pending further inquiry.

“Cllr Scully will be replaced as the executive member for economic strategy and development by Graham Bartlett, Welsh Labour councillor for Cwmtillery.”

In a statement, Blaenau Gwent council said: “We can confirm that Cllr Scully has resigned as executive member for economic strategy and development, and are unable to comment further.”

Cllr Scully also declined to comment.

During his lengthy career with Blaenau Gwent council, Cllr Scully has been council leader and mayor, and has held a number of a senior positions on committees.

He is no stranger to being referred to the Ombudsman.

In 2006 he was censured for breaching his authority’s code of conduct and was told by then Ombudsman Adam Peat to write letters of apology to the council’s then head of environment services and a junior member of staff. Mr Peat found Cllr Scully had breached the code of conduct and “intimidated” a junior member of staff “into doing something she knew was not right.”

But he escaped a potential six-month suspension.

According to the report, Cllr Scully had told the junior member of staff to alter an officer’s letter to say traffic calming measures would be carried out in Ebbw Vale’s Emlyn Avenue, despite the fact he knew there were no funds for them. He had denied the allegations.