CITY bosses launched an investigation to determine how an unadvertised, £30,000-a-year council post was given to the girlfriend of a Liberal Democrat councillor.

The row centres on the appointment of Laura Gilmore, girlfriend of Lib-Dem Cllr Colin Eldridge, to a role in the executive members’ office.

The opposition claimed it would have been a “million-to-one coincidence” if Miss Gilmore – who has relocated from the South West – was not appointed on the recommendation or request of the Liberal Democrats.

The job was not advertised by the council and no-one else was interviewed for the role.

Miss Gilmore is a prominent Liberal Democrat activist and airs her political views on Twitter under the name “LibDemLaura”.

She was appointed through a recruitment agency when the council position became vacant after executive members’ officer Rachel Palma took up a secondment with the Local Government Association in Brussels.

The Daily Post understands the chief executive, Colin Hilton, asked for it to be “ascertained how she was engaged with the leaders’ office”.

Cllr Eldridge – who is standing against Labour Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy at the next General Election – denied any knowledge of anyone having attempted to influence the recruitment procedure.

And council leader Warren Bradley said he “didn’t get involved in HR issues”.

But Labour leader Joe Anderson said he would be calling for the resignation of Cllrs Bradley and Eldridge if it is found the situation was engineered so that no-one else had the opportunity to get the job which Cllr Eldridge himself once held.

Cllr Eldridge said Miss Gilmore – who is originally from Liverpool – had already moved back to the city before the job, understood to be for a six-month fixed-term, came up.

He said Miss Gilmore had registered with the agency looking for work, adding: “I don’t know that anyone requested her.

“I think that’s pretty unlikely, the process does not work like that.”

He said his “recollection is they said ‘You would be really good to work for the council’ and at that point, or maybe a week or two later, they rang her and said this temporary position has come up, would you be interested?’

“I’m not making any secret about it, I’m not trying to hide anything from you or anyone else.

“She is working for the council and was got through an agency.

“Given how well qualified she is, it would seem silly that because we are in a relationship that we’ve not been in for a very long time, that somehow she should not take that position.”