Councillor will not be investigated after referring himself to standards board

A leading councillor will not be investigated by the council after allegations were made that he breached its code of conduct.

Bury council's chief legal officer has said the allegations of breaches of the council's code of conduct about Coun Russell Bernstein did not warrant an investigation.

Coun Bernstein was Conservative group leader and leader of the opposition on the council until internal party disputes led to his resignation from the party in July.

The row, which has left Tory members bitterly divided in the borough, also led to his deputy Jo Lancaster and councillors Dene Vernon and Luis McBriar quitting the Conservatives .

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All four now sit as Independents. The resignatio