Fifteen council staff have been disciplined after they lost more than £6,000 in one day, it has emerged.
The Vale of White Horse council in Oxfordshire said it realised the day’s takings from 28 July were missing three days later, according to the BBC.
The staff were disciplined for their collective failure to properly handle the money, which included payments from council tax and parking fines. An internal investigation could not conclude whether the money was lost or stolen.
The council reported the disappearance of the money to Thames Valley Police, but the force said it could not take the matter any further because of a lack of evidence.
Steve Bishop, the council’s finance director, said: “It is disappointing that the police cannot pursue a criminal investigation because of lack of evidence. Whether it was theft or not the fact remains there was an opportunity for someone to steal the cash and this is unacceptable.”
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
An external security expert was appointed by the council and identified a number of measures to improve security which the council said it is implementing.
Unison, the union representing some of the staff, said the staff had been treated unfairly.
