A FORMER Lord Mayor of Nottingham who was found to have lied to secure a council house for his "grandson" did not break any rules, according to the city council's standards sub-committee.

An Audit Commission investigation published in 2009 found an unnamed councillor had helped one of his constituents jump the queue for a new home by claiming the person was his grandson when he wasn't.

Councillor Brian Grocock was then revealed to be the councillor mentioned and referred himself to the council's standards committee.

A further investigation was then carried out by the council into whether Mr Grocock had used his position improperly to secure an advantage for the constituent and had acted in a way which brought his office into disrepute.

The standards sub-committee has now cleared the former Lord Mayor.

The council's monitoring officer Glen O'Connell told a hearing of the standards-sub committee on January 13 that the constituent was given the house so soon because of the actions of a "senior housing officer", which the Post previously identified as Tyron Browne.

He said: "This happened because a senior housing officer issued what could be described as an oblique instruction to the housing office and a tenancy was allocated. I remain of the view that the actual cause was the senior housing officer and the culture at the time."

The hearing heard the constituent and his partner, who were expecting a child, originally applied for a two or three-bedroom house in Bestwood in September 2004, which a housing officer said they "realistically" would not get.

They were given more points in January 2005, ahead of the baby's birth but an officer said they would still "have quite a wait".

Mr Grocock then met housing portfolio holder Councillor Dave Trimble in July 2005 and wrote him a note "seeking his assistance", explaining the applicant was his grandson.

Director of housing operations Tyron Browne then e-mailed the Bestwood area housing office asking them to "deal with the matter", stating the applicant was Mr Grocock's grandson. Three days later they were given an offer on a house.

The Audit Commission then began investigating the allocation of council houses in the city and Mr Grocock wrote a note to the district auditor in November 2006 which said: "I described the applicant Mr X as my grandson as I thought it proper to do so."

However, in an interview with the council's legal officer Glenn O'Connell in August 2010, Mr Grocock claimed the note to Mr Trimble would have said he was "like" his grandson. The note has never been found.

The Audit Commission report revealed the couple should probably have waited "years" for a council house in Bestwood. But they were offered one after only ten months – and just three days after housing staff were approached by Mr Grocock.

Mr O'Connell said Mr Grocock had used the word "grandson" in the way of declaring an interest – not to get a favour.

Independent member Beverley Denby questioned this version of events at the hearing.

She said: "Without that word of grandson this couple would not have necessarily jumped the queue so quickly.

"That was in a sense using his position to improperly secure an advantage for a family member and that to me would constitute a breach."

Mr Grocock did not attend the hearing of the standards committee himself due to ill health and was represented by a lawyer.

Ms Denby said: "Really Councillor Grocock needed to be here to respond to these questions, in my opinion."

Last March Mr O'Connell reported that he did not believe Mr Grocock had breached the code of conduct. However, a standards sub-committee requested the matter went to a hearing.

Speaking at this hearing, Mr O'Connell said: "[Mr Grocock] will accept he was not wise in what he did but I don't believe it breached the code of conduct.

"When I made this decision I was well aware of how controversial the decision would be and I felt it appropriate that I gave a detailed analysis."

He also urged the sub-committee to be mindful of the fact that Mr Grocock had referred himself to the standards committee, that his position has remained consistent and that he had appeared "sincere" in an interview he held with him.

Speaking on behalf of Mr Grocock, Solicitor Martin Smalley of Martin Smalley and Co Solicitors, said: "Councillor Grocock had not in his capacity as a member done anything to bring his office into disrepute, nor had he attempted to bring advantage to others by using his capacity as a member of the authority."

Speaking at a hearing on January 13, the sub-committee chairman Brian Wells said: "The committee found that Councillor Grocock's action, while unwise, does not contravene the members' code of conduct."