A STORM over a housing allocation to Wyre Forest district councillor Rachel Lewis has ended with her being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Council chief executive Walter Delin said there had been "no breach of systems and procedures" in Mrs Lewis' allocation of a three-bedroom house in Wribbenhall by Wyre Forest Community Housing.

The affair sparked the resignation of her Health Concern colleague Ron White, who disagreed with the points system of allocating housing, and culminated in a protest by 140 Wribbenhall folk outside the property in All Saints Avenue.

They were angry she had been allocated the house despite already having similar accommodation in Kidderminster.

But the council's cross-party ethics and standards committee has cleared Mrs Lewis of any impropriety after considering an independent report carried out by the council's chief executive and monitoring officer.

Following Monday's meeting, Mrs Lewis has also had her suspension from the Health Concern group lifted. She had been suspended after not declaring an interest in a separate housing application made by her brother, a breach of the National Code of Local Government Conduct.

However, committee member and Health Concern leader John Gordon said this was "an error of judgement due to inexperience and not any deliberate attempt to mislead".

The report advised Mrs Lewis about future conduct and the importance of declaring an interest, while the committee agreed a code of conduct should be prepared for councillors in relation to their dealings with Wyre Forest Community Housing "to prevent any future uncertainty".

Mrs Lewis said: "I am absolutely delighted that I have been completely and totally cleared of any accusation that I somehow 'fiddled' my transfer to my present home in Bewdley.

"I am very grateful to my family and friends and all those councillors who stood by me for their generous support.

"I was elected to represent the electorate of Kidderminster's Sutton Park ward. I will continue to do that to the best of my ability."

Mr Gordon added: "I hope that a line can now be drawn under this matter."