A CASE of suspected fraud from within Oxfordshire County Council will be subject to court proceedings, the authority has said.

Late last year councillors were told that officers were concerned overpayments had been made within the council’s children’s services department.

It was referred to the police and the council confirmed it is now subject to a criminal investigation that will be heard at a court.

The council refused to say when or where the case will be heard or any of the details involved in it.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was also approached to provide any details about its case but also said it was unable to give any further information.

The case was first referred to by the council’s director of finance, Lorna Baxter, in council papers published in November 2018.

Councillors have said they have not been given any more information regarding the potential prosecution since then.

Ms Baxter’s report last year also referred to two other cases.

She said an alleged case of cash theft and false accounting had also been reported to Thames Valley Police.

The council refused to give any further details regarding that case either. It said it ‘was referred to local police’ and that the authority is now awaiting a further update from officers.

A third case of potentially improper behaviour has been concluded by the council itself.

It said concerns about a member of staff using a procurement card incorrectly ‘was subject to a full internal investigation and appropriate action has been taken’.

All three cases were referred to the council’s Audit Working Group in September 2018.

The council's audit and governance committee will meet on September 11 and could receive an update on the alleged criminal case.