Bryn Howells, a council employee, faced court after it was revealed he simultaneously held four jobs, accumulating at least £236,000 in salaries and benefits. Between February 2022 and June 2023, Howells worked as a Strategic Housing and Enabling Officer at Tewkesbury Borough Council, a Senior Development Surveyor at South Gloucestershire Council, and a Valuer and Estates Surveyor at Publica Group—a company delivering services on behalf of several district councils. Additionally, he held a fourth council role through an agency, though this was not part of the prosecution.
Howells failed to disclose his multiple employments to his employers and submitted false timesheets, inflating hours worked while providing inaccurate information about his secondary jobs. His scheme was uncovered through a payroll data review conducted by Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Counter Fraud and Enforcement Unit (CFEU), in line with the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative (NFI).
Following the discovery, criminal and disciplinary investigations were launched. Howells was suspended and later resigned before hearings could take place; disciplinary proceedings proceeded in his absence, ending in his dismissal for gross misconduct.
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In court, Howells claimed he had a “strong desire” to work extensive hours to support understaffed local authorities and denied any dishonest intent, attributing his nondisclosure to an “unintentional oversight.” He argued that the hours on timesheets reflected availability rather than actual hours worked.
However, the councils’ legal representative characterized Howells’ actions as deliberate fraud. They argued that full disclosure of his multiple employments would have prevented him from securing these positions, and he knowingly obtained salaries and benefits through deception.
On July 11, Howells, from Ebley, Stroud, was found guilty of fraud against Tewkesbury Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council, and Publica Group Ltd. His sentencing is scheduled for August 28. The councils intend to recover the financial losses incurred due to his misconduct, including salary, pension, and national insurance contributions.
Simon Dix, Executive Director of Resources at Tewkesbury Borough Council, expressed profound disappointment: “Mr Howells’ conduct was a serious breach of public trust and misuse of funds. We acted promptly to investigate, demonstrating our zero-tolerance stance on fraud. We have since strengthened internal controls to prevent such incidents in the future.”