THREE Brent Conservative councillors are under formal investigation by the Standards Board for England.

The Standards Board confirmed the move in response to a complaint from seven Liberal Democrat councillors.

The Liberal Democrats allege that Tokyngton councillor Bhikubhai Patel has repeatedly failed to declare an interest that a member of his family has in the threatened Monks Park Post Office, in his ward.

According to Liberal Democrat councillors, Councillor Bhiku Patel and his two ward colleagues Councillors Nicola Blackman and Natalie Colwill sent a letter to all Tokyngton residents urging them to write in objection to the closure of the Post Office, but did not mention that a direct member of Councillor Patel's family owns the property and is therefore effectively the Post Office "landlord".

The Liberal Democrats also claim that Councillor Patel failed to declare an interest before or during the debate on their recent motion to Full Council on "Fighting for Our Post Offices", which made specific reference to the proposal to close Monks Park, and then proceeded to vote on the issue.

The third allegation made by Brent's Liberal Democrats is that the letter to ward residents in Tokyngton, signed by Councillors Nicola Blackman, Natalie Colwill and Bhikubhai Patel, was produced at the Town Hall at council tax payers' expense. This had previously been reported to Brent Council by the Liberal Democrats, but no formal outcome or decision had been received following the complaint.

The Standards Board examined the allegations on August 27 and decided that a formal investigation should take place. This will be initially undertaken by the Standards Board's national Ethical Standards Officers and not by Brent Council. All three councillors have been sent letters advising that "a Standards Board investigator will contact you in due course to discuss the allegation further."

The accusations follow another investigation by the Standards Board into an incident involving Conservative Mapesbury Councillor Jack Sayers, who allegedly swore at a Town Hall employee. He was found to have broken a code of practice but escaped further action.

Councillor Daniel Brown, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group in Brent, said: "We don't make referrals on spurious political grounds to try to victimise councillors or tarnish their reputations. We only do so if we believe that there is a serious case to answer that could potentially bring the Council or that councillor's Office into disrepute. We are under a legal duty to do so.

"I'm sure the Tories won't be at all pleased that they will now have had four councillors investigated by the Standards Board for England.

"But they only have themselves to blame. Perhaps next time, instead of making a daft political referral of the whole Liberal Democrat Group for campaigning against the cost of the Mayor, Tory Leader Bob Blackman will concentrate on getting his own house in order over what are serious matters.

"Given all his recent pronouncements about probity and ethics, it'll be interesting to see what disciplinary action, if any, he proposes to take against these councillors."

Conservative Councillor Reg Colwill, of the Kenton ward, said: "The Liberal Democrats, once again, are playing tit for tat. Councillor Patel was probably just thinking about the residents and the post office. The two other councillors probably did not know he owned the post office.

"The Liberal Democrats are going into Tower Hamlets-style politics because there is an election coming up. I find it very sad that they are reduced to dirty politics."

Councillor Patel was unavailable for comment.

 A fifth Conservative councillor, Uma Fernandes, has also been referred to the Standards Board by Liberal Democrat Brent councillor and Brent and Harrow GLA Spokesperson Havard Hughes, for the publication on the national Conservative Party Website of the Brent Town Hall Conservative Office Fax number and Council E-mail address, allegedly in relation to her candidature in Brent East.

The Standards Board was due to reach a decision on whether to take the matter further by Wednesday September 10.