A LEADING county councillor has been investigated by the Standards Board over claims he did not declare a financial interest in a key discussion.

Conservative councillor Carl Les is North Yorkshire County Council's head of corporate affairs.

He is also a director of Motel Leeming, a service area on the A1.

At a committee meeting in October last year, he spoke about the scheme to upgrade the A1 to motorway status.

He declared a personal interest in the matter but then took part in the discussion.

He said he was encouraging greater consultation, rather than trying to gather support for the scheme.

But Lib Dem councillor Bill Hoult has made a complaint about his conduct, saying he should have declared a financial and prejudicial interest and left the room during the discussion.

An investigation has been carried out by the London-based Standards Board, which has referred the matter back to North Yorkshire County Council.

A final decision on what to do about the complaint will be made by the standards committee on January 5.

In the Standards Board report, ethical standards officer, Steven Kingston found that Coun Les "sought improperly to influence the decision of the committee" and that the change in status of the A1 would directly affect his business.

But he also said that Coun Les believed he was acting in the public interest at the time.

Councillor Les said: "I raised an issue at an area committee meeting and I did not declare that I had a prejudicial interest because I did not believe I had a prejudicial interest but a councillor, who is a member of another political party, did and has made a complaint about me.

"I will be attending the committee meeting on January 5 and I will be making representations to the committee."

If Coun Les is found to have breached the model code of conduct, which councillors must abide by, he could face being suspended for three months or having his access to the council's resources taken away.