Penzance pirate world record attempt cost investigated

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-33076399

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An investigation has been launched after more than £50,000 was spent on a pirate fancy dress world record attempt by a council.

Penzance Town Council spent three times its agreed budget of £20k on the town's 400-year charter celebrations in 2014.

The amount spent on the pirate event was £56,056, with the rest of the £66,219 used to fund smaller events.

Mayor David Nesbesnuick has promised "transparency" and described the overspend as a "sorry business."

In a letter, sent to all of the town councillors, he promised a full and public investigation.

"This issue has caused us enormous reputational damage," Mr Nesbesnuick said.

"We only had £20k and this was known in mid-February (2014), yet despite that £60k was spent - who authorised it, when and why?"

The matter was brought to council's attention at a finance committee meeting on 26 February and a resolution was passed to bring in accountants to review its financial processes.

'The Penzance Six'

However, six councillors signed a "five-member motion" to rescind the decision until it had been reconsidered.

The motion to rescind the decision was defeated at a town council meeting on 1 June.

Councillor Phil Rendle, who signed the motion, said: "The motion to rescind was brought because it was considered that the February Resolution was unsafe.

"Neither the Principle Responsible Finance Officer nor the Assistant Responsible Financial Officer were present at the time the matter was discussed."

A petition has now been started asking for the six councillors to stand down.

Another of the signatories, Councillor Ruth Lewarne, said she also wanted transparency and had "absolutely no intention of standing down."

The other four councillors named in the petition, Jack Dixon, Roy Mann, Dennis Axford and Anne Dennis, are yet to respond to the BBC's request for comment.