A council employee in Carmarthenshire was found to be doing private jobs on the side while on duty, using council equipment for personal gain. The individual was discovered using council grass-cutting machinery for private work, which led to their dismissal. This incident dating back to 2023-24 was highlighted in an audit and governance committee report. Another employee was also mentioned for gaining unauthorised access to the council’s leisure booking system, allowing free entry to friends and acquaintances. Dyfed-Powys Police investigated the matter and issued a community resolution to the individual, who no longer works for the council.
The council, which employs over 8,000 staff members, considers such incidents extremely rare. The audit and governance committee learned about the council teams dedicated to combating fraud and corruption, including the consumer and business affairs service, responsible for carrying out Trading Standards investigations. In the last fiscal year, this service achieved 15 convictions, preventing £14.3m in losses, an increase from the previous year’s 12 convictions amounting to £11m.
Councillor Kim Broom and committee chairman David MacGregor praised the success of Trading Standards in protecting the community. The consumer and business affairs service dealt with 1,830 referrals in 2023-24, uncovering a large-scale counterfeit cigarette operation that led to nearly 100,000 suspected illegal cigarettes being seized. The report also mentioned cases such as a resident falsely claiming a single person discount on council tax and a company submitting false quotations for a renewable energy grant scheme, which were referred to the police.
The council’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption was reiterated in the report, stating that lessons were learned from the unauthorised access incident. Additional controls were implemented following the departure of a fraud investigation officer in April 2023. The counter-fraud team within the council currently has two employees, ensuring continued vigilance in preventing such misconduct. Caroline Powell, the council’s principal auditor, highlighted the collaborative effort with leisure service teams to enhance controls and reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.