Consultant was paid almost £350,000 by Gloucester City Council

ONE man's consultancy firms were paid almost £350,000 by Gloucester City Council, The Citizen can reveal.

Alexander Beaver Associates and HR Consulting Ltd, both run by Noel Beaver, were paid £343,000 from 2007 to the end of the third quarter of 2012.

It comes as the council, rocked by allegations of nepotism and now more sackings, has called in external investigators to probe allegations managers appointed staff and consultants without going through the proper processes.

While there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Beaver and the council, senior city council figures are understood to be concerned at the amount spent on consultancy work.

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Mr Beaver's firms provide human resources consultancy, recruitment support and advice, interim management, training, organisational development advice and support, human resources policy advice, and coaching and management of its apprenticeship scheme.

The city council would not disclose what daily or weekly rate was charged by the two

firms, but Environmental Health News revealed last year

Bromsgrove District Council paid Alexander Beaver Associates £13,670 to help it merge services at £800 a day.

A council spokesman said: "The council has contract standing orders and the procurement of goods and services are awarded in line with those rules."

The council has been hit by allegations of nepotism which has seen a sacking, a resignation and a ticking off for three council managers.

It is now understood two further sackings have been made in the council's regeneration directorate, over separate allegations of nepotism.

The council's regeneration boss Phil Staddon, who was suspended from his £85,000-a-year post at the beginning of October in connection with the original allegations of nepotism, remains suspended.

Mr Beaver did not return The Citizen's calls.

A city council worker said the rash of sackings and disciplinaries was having a debilitating effect on staff.

"Staff morale is low," they said.