BOLTON'S Senior Youth Officer has been at the centre of an investigation into the alleged harassment of staff.

Doug Alders, in charge of Bolton Council's youth services, has been on long term sick for almost three months and sources in the local authority claim he is not expected to return to his job.

Youth workers employed by Bolton Council are understood to have complained to their union UNISON about Mr Alders' alleged harassment and bullying.

The BEN was told Mr Alders had been suspended. But Mr Dave Sutton, manager of the Personnel Unit with Bolton's education department, said any rumours suggesting Mr Alders had been suspended from his post were untrue.

Mr Brian Atkinson, Bolton's Deputy Director of Education said: "A number of allegations were made against Mr Alders. These were in the process of being investigated, not by the education department but by central personnel as is normal in these cases. "But Mr Alders was then confirmed as being on long term sick leave, as attested to by his GP. Therefore the investigation can not proceed at this point.

"No-one can make any predictions as to whether Mr Alders will be returning to his job. The nature of Mr Alders' illness is between himself and his GP.

"Beyond this, all I can say is that the youth service and officers in it have worked very hard to develop the service in the absence of the unit head and they ought to be commended for that." Mrs Rosa Kay, local government branch secretary of the white collar worker section of UNISON, said: "There has been an investigation into allegations of harassment made by youth workers against Mr Alders.

"This investigation has now reached a conclusion which I shall be reporting to the officers who made the complaints and who have been supported in their actions by UNISON."

An anonymous source in the Youth Service which is based at New Overdale off Chorley New Road, said: "Mr Alders went on long term sick very shortly after the allegations of bullying and harassment of staff were made against him."

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