Arrest made in council housing fraud investigation

An arrest has been made in an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud at Guildford Borough Council.

The investigation, previously escalated by Surrey Police to the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), is looking into the council's housing maintenance service.

A SEROCU spokesperson said Regional Fraud Team officers had executed a number of warrants on Thursday morning.

They added: "A man aged in his 50s has been arrested in connection with this investigation, and is currently in police custody.

"As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further details at this time."

The police investigation started in November, while the council also decided in February to launch an internal investigation, to be run by an external law firm.

A council spokesperson said: "We continue to support the police with their ongoing investigation.

"We are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of our organisation and value for money for our tenants, residents and communities."

Surrey Police said at the time of handing over the investigation, this was "due to the size and complexity" of the matter.

Council tenants have previously spoken about their "stress" at repairs that have been left unfinished since the investigation was started.

They called on the council for a "clear plan" to resolve safety and repair issues at their council-owned block of flats.

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