Norwich City Council has launched an independent review after one of its housing chiefs was sacked for bringing the authority into ‘severe disrepute'.

Kristine Reeves was dismissed from her post as the council's head of neighbourhood and strategic housing after a disciplinary hearing on 9 January  found her actions had brought the council into severe disrepute.

The 37-year-old had moved elderly residents out of sheltered homes in Greyhound Opening, Norwich, ready for the buildings to be decommissioned and the site redeveloped with 200 new flats and houses. But Ms Reeves had then moved into one of the properties with her partner, also a council housing officer, and the other 24 properties had been let to council staff.

The disciplinary hearing found Ms Reeves was responsible for a lettings process in July 2007 at Greyhound Opening which was contrary to the policy and constitution of the council.

She had also failed to ensure her service had adopted a proper procedure and practice with appropriate safeguards for the letting of decommissioned sheltered housing to staff.

In addition, she had failed to see that moving into one of the properties with a work colleague was a conflict of interest, and had not made a formal declaration. Norwich's chief executive, Laura McGillivray, said: ‘I have discussed this with the leader and we have commissioned Phillip Watson, former chief executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, to conduct a review of the council's investigation to check it was conducted properly, and that its findings were justified.'

There is no timescale for the review, although the council hopes to have the findings before a meeting of the executive committee on 21 January.

Staff have been told to vacate the Greyhound Opening properties before the end of the month, when they will be boarded up, ahead of demolition.