SENIOR council officers will be asked to explain to an audit committee why nothing was done when allegations of “malpractice” were made about a former headteacher.

At Tuesday’s audit committee meeting Cllr Jacob Williams proposed that the director of education, cabinet member and head of human resources be requested to attended and discuss the Helen Lester case.

Miss Lester was found to have manipulated test results of pupils at Saundersfoot School at an Education Workforce Council hearing last year.

She retired from the school in 2015 and her replacement reported concerns of irregularities just ten days after taking post.

However he was told in an email there was “little to be gained from any investigation”

Cllr Williams told the meeting: “That’s the real issue, that should never have happened. It’s a disgrace.”

Miss Lester remained employed by Pembrokeshire County Council as a schools advisor after retiring.

“This is another cover up as recently as 2015,” said Cllr Williams adding the senior officers should “account for what happened when those allegations were brought to the local education authority’s attention”.

He added that the changes to test results had affected pupils in their early years in secondary school.

“You had a cohort going to Greenhill having had their test results improved allocated to higher sets in Greenhill School. There’s a history of Saundersfoot pupils when it comes to year eight being downgraded, that’s demoralising.”

His proposal was seconded by Cllr Guy Woodham. Members voted in favour of the plan.