The row surrounding the pay of a council chief executive took a dramatic turn this week after the authority’s most senior politician was accused of breaching its code of ethics.

A row erupted in October last year when Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) voted to allow Dr Steven Halls to cut short his working week yet keep all his bumper pay and perks.

Despite widespread public outrage, Dr Halls, who earns £116,181 a year, was allowed to work just four days a week to maintain his “work life balance”.

At a meeting in December the authority’s opposition Conservative group put forward a motion demanding the decision be fully explained in the council’s community magazine.

The resulting statement, however, has enraged group leader David Sansom, who is seeking to refer the matter to the Standards Board for England (SBE).

He has accused the article’s author, council leader Ann Shaw, of misleading the public by claiming Dr Halls’ hours would remain unchanged The article read: “…he will do the same job, being paid the same salary, working the same number of hours, including evenings and weekends.”

The Conservatives, however, say this version of events contradicts the report councillors were asked to vote on – a report written by the chief executive himself.

It says the council would allow him to “undertake his duties working four days per week” working “as many extra hours as, seasonal pressures etc require”.

Crucially it adds: “TRDC pays him the same salary as at present so that, while his rate increases, there is no increased burden on TRDC’s finances.”

Councillor Sansom has now reported the matter to the council’s internal standards committee, which can, if it sees fit, pass the matter on to the SBE – which polices local authorities.

He said: “We believe she [Ann Shaw] is bringing the council into disrepute. What she has explained is not what was voted for.

“If they had said that he wanted to work flexitime it would have been a non-argument – everyone can understand that. But that’s not what was voted on.

“The report says in black and white that his rate increases – that means his hours of employment have been cut.”

Councillor Shaw said the move was a “silly ploy” and accused the conservatives of “playing politics.” She dismissed the complaint as an argument in semantics and accused of the Councillor Sansom of misunderstanding the issue.