A SENIOR councillor last night revealed he received at least one apology from an official, after they said they had not seen a secret report into library closures.

Conservative group leader Jeff Green was responding to Wirral Council’s solicitor Bill Norman’s revelations about who saw the draft document by Government-appointed inspector Sue Charteris.

Ms Charteris was appointed by the former Culture Secretary Andy Burnham to look at the council’s plan to shut 11 of its 24 libraries.

Her draft report was sent to the council for comments and fact-checking.

But the council has come under fire from Conservative councillors for only allowing five Labour and Liberal Democrat cabinet members to see the report, along with nine senior council officers.

In an email sent to Mr Norman, Cllr Green said: “I have raised with you and the chief executive on many occasions my concerns over how this matter is being handled.

“Now you have provided a list of those you did deem suitable to see this report, can I to begin with, ask you to provide me with your reasoning.”

Cllr Green also asked about “current policy regarding officers who have told me direct untruths in that a number of the people listed below have told me directly that they had not seen the report”.

Afterwards, Cllr Green said he received a phone call from an officer apologising for denying seeing the report.

He said: “If you cannot trust the officers of the council to tell the people who are there to represent the public, then it is not just me they are telling an untruth to, it is the thousands of people I am here to represent.”