TAXPAYERS in Ledbury are facing a legal bill of around £200,000 for costs following a High Court challenge.

A judge ruled last week that town and county councillor Liz Harvey, who was cleared of bullying and harassing staff by Herefordshire Council, had not been fairly treated by Ledbury Town Council.

The legal action is expected to cost around £50 for each household in the market town and at the annual meeting last Thursday, residents asked why the council was advised to act the way it did.

Local resident Richard Hadley said: “We were told and assured by councillor Crow and Francis that there was incontrovertible legal advice which justified Ledbury Town Council’s prosecution of its grievance procedure against councillors Harrison and Harvey.

“Are we going to be shown that legal opinion? “Because upon that legal opinion everything hinges. All the money that has been spent, all the conflict and rage and all the resignations have spun off that central piece of evidence from the lawyers.

“Please can we see that legal evidence? “As residents and taxpayers we are going to foot a potential bill of £50 each of us.”

Newly elected council chairman Nina Shields said she had not seen the evidence but said she would do everything possible to allow residents to examine everything relating to the case once the legal proceedings were finished.

She said: “I do not know what evidence there is. We are going to have to examine what has happened and learn from it.

“My inclination is that as soon as everything is free from anything that might make it sub judice we should be as open as we can be.”

Councillor Francis explained that the legal opinion was with the solicitors and was referred to in the judicial review statement by Justice Cotterill.

He said: “I was assured by councillor Crow that it existed. My view has always been that if I’m told something I believe it. Maybe I’m too naïve.”

Coun Shields added: “We have spent the town’s money and the town deserves to know the whys wheres and hows of that.

“As a council we need to work together now to regain the confidence of the town. “We need to be open and accountable and generally increase the level of transparency.”