TWO senior Monmouthshire council officers have been suspended as part of investigations into a £1.2m overspend on the new Monnow Bridge.

The Argus has learned that director for the environment Jeff Martin and head of highways David Harris have been suspended while an investigation into the cost of the flagship project continues.

We revealed in April that the project to build a second bridge over the river Monnow in Monmouth was originally budgeted to cost £1.4 million pounds - but before work had even begun, costs had almost doubled to £2.6m.

And last week it was revealed the total overspend could now reach £1.5 million.

Councillor Graham Down, chairman of the members' working group which investigated the overspend, said: "An external individual was called in to review the facts, and as a result of his report a disciplinary investigation is taking place.

"The officers in question are entitled to a fair hearing without undue comment. They have been suspended while an investigation takes place."

A controversial report by the Monnow Bridge Working Group set up after the overspend was discovered in July 2003 was leaked to the Argus.

It slammed councillors for failing to realise the full cost of the project and adopting a "materially flawed" capital budget.

The council then launched a hunt for the mole concerned.

David Davies, AM, called for those named in the report to be named publicly.

And earlier this year an investigation was launched to find out how costs on the build were allowed to get out of control.

Rhodri Morgan has also been investigating whether he has the power to force Monmouthshire council to publish the Monnow Bridge report.

The first minister has said he will be looking into whether he has the "power to command a local authority to disclose the results of internal reports".