Tories guilty

Two Conservative councillors in Brent, north-west London, were yesterday found guilty of maladministration over the granting of planning permission to a Tory party donor.

The Local Government Ombudsman condemned the Tories in the borough after the grant of planning application for a pub was followed by a pounds 2,000 donation to the local party by the applicant. The Ombudsman criticised councillors William Duffin and David Torbert and former councillor Leslie Winters. Mr Torbert told colleagues before the meeting of the planning sub-committee that "they would be upsetting the chairman of that Association if they refused the application".