A FORMER mayor of Brent who was suspended from the council for spending charity cash on
ball gowns has been reported to the police.

Bertha Joseph lost her appeal last month against a six-month suspension from the local authority after it was found she used sponsorship cash to buy two dresses she wore to mayoral charity balls.

Councillor Ann John OBE, leader of the opposition Labour group, wrote to Mark Toland, Brent borough commander, to complain.

She said: "I am no legal expert but it seems to me that collecting money for a charity and spending it on your personal wardrobe maybe against the law.

"I have therefore written to the police to ask them to investigate and refer Ms Joseph to the Crown Prosecution Service."

A spokeswoman from Brent Police confirmed officers were looking at the matter and whether
to investigate further.

Ms Joseph was a Labour councillor when the incidents took place but controversially defected from the Labour group to the Tories in 2007.

Joseph's appeal was heard by a tribunal chaired by Judge David Laverick.

The judgement said: "Quite clearly she (Joseph) solicited gifts from more than one person and failed to account properly for them.

"Officers cannot be expected to account for money paid in cash to the Mayor and not handed over to them. Her claim to have relied on others to record sponsorship simply lacks credibility.”

The suspension of six months is the maximum possible penalty but Ms Joseph will only have to serve four due to the local elections.

She confirmed to the Observer last week she will stand as a Conservative candidate for Kensal Green in May.

Politicians and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have also called for her to be sacked from the London Fire Authority which she is deputy chairwoman of.

Last week Councillor John Detre (Conservative) defended her by saying: "Ms Joseph sees this as a deliberate attempt to try and discredit her during an election year."