Councillor believes deputy clerk was dismissed over fire alarm claims
A Welshpool town councillor has said he believes his deputy town clerk was dismissed because of his constant insistence that the town hall fire alarm needed replacing.
Councillor Phil Pritchard was speaking at an an unfair dismissal tribunal and whistleblowing claim from the former deputy clerk, Mr Bond.
Mr Bond claims that he was dismissed because town clerk Mr Robert Robinson feared he was going to lift the lid on the state of the fire alarm system at Welshpool Town Hall.
When subjected to cross-examination on his evidence earlier this week, Mr Robinson said he had suggested Mr Bond's employment not be continued because of the bad feeling between the deputy clerk and other members of staff.
At the tribunal on Friday, Councillor Pritchard, in support of Mr Bond, said: "If we hadn't had an issue about the fire alarms |Mr Bond would still be in employment today."
His written evidence said: "In my opinion Martin's dismissal was false."
He told the tribunal that the dismissal meeting had taken Mr Bond - and himself - completely by surprise.
The councillor said that one of the problems with the relationship between the clerk and deputy clerk, was that Mr Robinson wanted to keep control of the council.
"He wanted full control at all time and that was the start of the collapse," he said.
"He delegated various functions to Mr Bond but he still had to report to him."
Councillor Pritchard said that it was his opinion that the rumours that were circulating about the state of the fire alarm were the reason for the eventual dismissal of Mr Bond.
"I heard that Mr Robinson knew about the fire alarm system long before Mr Bond arrive and that Mr Bond was pressing Mr Robinson about it all the time - that's were the problems lay."
Mr Bond was dismissed in 2019.
The town hall was closed in August 2019 after it was confirmed that the fire alarm system was not working.
The tribunal will continue on February 11 and 12.
