TWO senior Conservative councillors launched a vicious internet campaign against their own town hall leader - branding her 'clueless' and comparing her to Hitler.

Ian Mullins and Colin Foster were investigated after a string of offensive comments about Susan Williams, who was the leader of Trafford council at the time. Now the probe has concluded it's 'extremely unlikely' anyone other than them left the comments.

One comment left on a newspaper website said: "Susan Williams doesn't want to ruin Stretford, she just can't help it that as a result of her incompetence everywhere is being ruined. Even Hitler didn't make the same mess in six years that she's made since she took over."

Mr Mullins told investigators he didn't remember making that comment. But council officers proved it came from a council computer, and that his terminal was the only one logged on to the website at the time. The person leaving the comment must have had his ID and password.

Mrs Williams had sacked Mr Mullins from her ruling executive just months before.

The town hall investigation said it was 'extremely unlikely' anyone else posted the comment. It said Mr Mullins had not been 'open and honest' about his identity while commenting, and that the content was possibly defamatory.

Mr Mullins later told a hearing he was the victim of a political plot - and claimed that leaving comments on websites under fake names was 'standard practice' for councillors.

Comments

Mr Foster was a friend and ally of Mr Mullins and had served as his deputy for a time. Town hall officers proved a number of other comments came from both men's password-protected computers.

They said there was 'strong evidence' Mr Foster made others under pseudonyms.

The probe into Mr Mullins' behaviour related to a message left on the newspaper website on January 31, last year.

The investigation into Mr Foster focused on comments left under the names 'terry, altrincham' and 'tholt, altrincham'. One of the posts accused her of 'incompetant [sic] collusion' and running a 'shambolic council'. A post by 'tina, altrincham' was also posted to the website from a council computer - and again, Mr Foster's was the only one logged on to the site at the time.

The post said: "This woman claims a degree in nutrition on her website and then admits she cannot even cook. A bit like saying she runs a council and then admitting she cannot. Clueless."

Mr Mullins was sacked from the executive in October 2007. He later left the council after he was not approved as a Tory candidate. Mr Foster stood down before the 2008 elections.

Mrs Williams, who stood down from the council to fight the Bolton West seat at the next election, declined to comment.

Despite several attempts to contact them, neither Mr Mullins nor Mr Foster have responded to the results of the investigation.

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