A POLICE investigation into the Tory councillor at the centre of the late payment of council tax row has found he has no case to answer.

Detectives last week launched an investigation into Cllr Mudasir Dean’s activities following a long-running Bolton News investigation.

They have now concluded his conduct did not amount to a breach of the law.

Police have not explained the reasons for their decision.

Conservatives have welcomed the news and have ended his suspension from the group.

Cllr Dean said: “There has been a thorough investigation by the police regarding this matter. I volunteered to assist the police with their inquiry and I am pleased they are satisfied I have no case to answer to.

“The past few weeks have been very difficult for myself and my family.

“I would like to thank all my friends, constituents and party colleagues for their support and good wishes during this period.”

Earlier this month, the Bradshaw councillor came forward to admit he was twice summoned to court for late council tax payments, though he later brought his account up to date.

It then emerged that town hall minutes seemed to show the former prospective MP attended a budget-setting meeting while subject to legal restrictions due to the late payments.

Bolton Conservatives group leaders started their own investigation, which had the full backing of Bolton Council.

A senior council employee then met Bolton police representatives and detectives began looking into the allegations, which relate to the Local Government Finance Act 1992 section about councillors attending budget-setting meetings.

Bolton Council passed information to police.

Last night, a Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that officers have concluded an investigation and have decided to take no further action.”

It is understood a detective studied documentation relating to the case and, after making his decision, referred it to a more senior officer, who supported the verdict.

Bolton Conservatives leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: “According to our rules, we will conclude our internal investigation, but I am delighted that the police have found there is no case to answer and that they will not be taking the matter any further.

“And as a result of the police decision, Cllr Dean is no longer suspended and we will be restoring the party whip with immediate effect.”

Cllr Dean was twice summoned to court for not paying a total of £2,684 council tax. He later brought his account up-to-date and the prosecutions were discontinued.

The law states that if a council tax sum is due to be paid and the councillor concerned fails to pay it for two months, they must not vote on the setting of council tax at a local authority budget meeting.

If any councillor subject to those restrictions attends a budget meeting, they must, according to the Local Government Finance Act, “at the meeting, and as soon as practicable after its commencement, disclose the fact that (this law) applies to him and shall not vote on any question with respect to the matter (council tax)”.

Although the minutes from the meeting, held on February 20, 2013, seem to suggest Cllr Dean was there, they do not disclose where the law applied to him or whether he voted.

When Cllr Dean first confirmed he had been twice summoned to court, he told The Bolton News in a written statement: “I did not attend or vote at any budget-setting meeting during the periods I was in arrears.

“Therefore, there was never any conflict of interest in my role as a councillor.”

In October 2012, The Bolton News began an investigation into councillors who were summoned to court for not paying their council tax on time.

Besides Cllr Dean, one other councillor — a Labour representative — was revealed to have been twice summoned to court.

Bolton Council, the Information Commissioners Office and the First Tier Tribunal have all ruled that both councillors should not be named.

There is no suggestion that the unnamed Labour councillor has broken the law.