A group of Yorkshire councils is planning legal action to recover an estimated £14m in debt, following the closure of their joint trading standards unit. Sheffield City Council, together with Rotherham, Doncaster and Barnsley MBCs are to take civil action to try and reclaim some of the cash lost by the unit. The massive debts only came to light in a routine internal audit in January this year, after the unit's general manager, Mike Buckley, died from a heart attack last December. In July, the unit was forced to close with the loss of 24 jobs Sheffield's chief executive, Sir Bob Kerslake, said at the time: ‘This has been a very difficult time for all concerned, especially staff at the unit. The closure of the unit has been the most likely outcome for some time, but we have explored every option before reaching such a decision.' The Serious Fraud Office was called in during May to investigate the dealings of the unit. Its inquiry is expected to last 12 to 18 months, so any civil action cannot be taken until the criminal investigation is complete.
