A Welsh MP has called for Whitehall to intervene after it emerged that a council chief executive, who has temporarily stepped down due a police investigation, will still act as the local returning officer for the upcoming European elections.

Speaking in Parliament, Jonathan Edwards questioned how Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James could continue with the role of returning officer while he is not working as chief executive at the authority.

Mr James announced he was stepping down from the role in February while Gloucestershire Constabulary investigate the circumstances around a decision to pay him and another senior colleague more than £50,000 in cash for opting out of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

‘The matter boils down to whether the chief executive can undertake the role logistically and maintain the integrity of a police investigation, while not at his desk,' said Mr Edwards.

‘Councillors have been told the chief executive is not to have any contact with any member of staff,' he added.

‘It is therefore impossible to see how he can conduct the election properly if that is indeed the case.'

A spokesman for Carmarthenshire Council said: ‘Mark James will be the local returning officer at the forthcoming elections.  This is a separate role to that of council chief executive.'