TORFAEN council has terminated the employment of an IT officer cleared of fraud following a high profile trial last year.

Farooq Dastgir ran an IT centre dealing with data from Torfaen Council, Monmouthshire Council and Gwent Police before he was suspended in September 2011.

The council officer was accused of false accounting but was cleared unanimously following a three-week trial at Cardiff Crown Court in May last year.

It was said during his trial that he was suspended on full pay of around £75,000 a year after 28 years with the council.

By these figures it left Torfaen council spending £250,000 of tax payers money on his wages during the term of his three-and-a-half year suspension.

The prosecution had claimed Mr Dastgir used council money to pay for a South Wales Argus supplement advertising digital developments in Torfaen which he was told should be funded through private sponsorship.

Mr Dastgir declined to comment.

A Torfaen council spokesman said: “The contract of employment between the council and Farooq Dastgir has been terminated with effect from April 14, 2015.”