THE Tory leader of the district council was set to be grilled by opposition Labour councillors at a meeting last night over his former ownership of shares in the giant ASDA supermarket chain.

Cllr Cathy Mole (Lab, Sidemoor) had tabled three questions to put to Bromsgrove District Council leader Cllr Nick Psirides (Norton) about his shareholdings in relation to the timing of discussions in 1999 between ASDA and the council over disposal of land at Recreation Road.

Before the meeting Cllr Mole would only say: "It is a matter the people of Bromsgrove should be aware of."

She denied Tory allegations it was put on Tuesday's agenda to divert attention from the Labour group leader's court appearance earlier in the day.

She said she had warned Cllr Psirides several weeks ago that if he did not answer her letters on the matter she would raise it at the next full council meeting.

Labour wants to know if Cllr Psirides breached the code of conduct requiring councillors to declare their interests in matters coming before the council.

But, in a statement, Cllr Psirides said he had sold his 1,000 shares on June 4, five clear days before a council meeting had discussed the ASDA proposals involving land at Recreation Road.

Labour, however, claimed he must have been party to private discussions beforehand.

Cllr Psirides said: "The council's monitoring officer Bob Lewis was aware of my shareholding on May 19 and my intention to sell my holding which, subsequently, I did."

In a confidential letter sent to Cllr Mole by Mr Lewis last November and seen by the Advertiser/Messenger, he concluded Cllr Psirides had not committed an offence or breached the code.