THE PUBLIC Services Ombudsman for Wales says it welcomes the recent decision made by Wrexham council to suspend its deputy mayor.

Last week, the Leader reported that councillor Paul Rogers, who is in line to be the next Mayor of Wrexham, has been suspended from the council for three months.

The Brymbo councillor, a member of the ruling Independent / Conservative coalition group, has received the suspension after an investigation by the council’s standards committee, for his involvement in a dispute between the driver of a vehicle and a bus driver outside Ysgol Tanyfron two years ago.

Cllr Rogers is the current Deputy Mayor of Wrexham and is due to succeed current Mayor Cllr Brian Cameron in mid-May.

He said he had 'acted in good faith' during the incident and 'respected' the committee's decision to suspend him.

Now, the Ombudsman, Michelle Morris, has welcomed the decision made by Wrexham Council.

READ MORE: WATCH: Ambulance workers take to the picket line in Wrexham as pay dispute continues

She said: "The Ombudsman’s report concerned a complaint that the Councillor Paul Rogers had breached the Code of Conduct when he made an alleged false complaint about the complainant to the Police, relating to an incident which occurred on a bus.

"The Standards Committee concluded that the Councillor Paul Rogers had brought his office as a councillor and the Council into disrepute and that he had misused his position to create a disadvantage for another person.

"Accordingly, the Standards Committee decided that the Councillor Paul Rogers should be suspended for 3 months.

"As the purpose of the ethical standards framework in Wales is to promote high standards for councillors and to maintain public confidence in local democracy, the Ombudsman welcomed the decision to suspend the Councillor and thanked the members of the Standards Committee for their careful consideration of the case."