Cheltenham sues ex-RCT official for pounds 750,000.

THE former housing director of a Welsh council is being sued for more than pounds 754,000.

Christine Laird left Rhondda Cynon Taf council in 2002 to become the chief executive of Cheltenham Borough Council.

Now, Cheltenham are suing their former head, claiming she misled them in saying she was fit for the job.

This is the first time the huge figure they are claiming has been released and the case is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

The council is bringing High Court proceedings against Mrs Laird alleging that she misrepresented her abilities in securing the pounds 85,000-a-year position which she left in 2005.

Her time at the council was marked by a series of bitter disputes with the authority and its Liberal Democrat leader, Andrew McKinlay.

Mrs Laird accused Mr McKinlay of bullying and filed 25 official complaints against him to the Standards Board for England, of which only one was upheld.

She also sought a restraining order banning him from entering the first floor of the council headquarters, but this was later withdrawn.

Mrs Laird then pursued a separate legal claim against Mr McKinlay but lost and had to pay pounds 96,100 in costs.

Out of the three years of service to the council, Mrs Laird was on sick leave due to stress for 18 months. She was suspended on full pay in June 2004 for undisclosed reasons and left the following year.

Cheltenham Borough Council initially launched proceedings against both Mrs Laird and RCT, claiming that her fitness for the role had been misrepresented in an application questionnaire she provided and in a reference from the council.

The claim against RCT was dropped earlier this month after Cheltenham decided to solely pursue Mrs Laird, which meant RCT's taxpayers would not foot any further bills. However, the authority has already spent pounds 100,000 in legal costs.

A Cheltenham council spokesman said the claim was for costs and damages of pounds 754,392, adding: "Cheltenham Borough Council has discontinued its action against RCT Council for negligent misstatement in supplying an employment reference for Mrs Laird.

"At the start of these proceedings it was properly considered to be in the interests of the overall success of the case to include an action against RCT as well as Mrs Laird.

"It has been decided, with the support and advice of counsel, that the public interest would be best served for the council to concentrate its efforts in pursuing the claim against Mrs Laird alone."

The new case is expected to last 38 days when it starts on January 2 6.

CAPTION(S):

COURT DATE: Christine Laird is being sued for pounds 754,392