An employment tribunal has continued to uncover a concerning picture about how a faulty fire alarms system at Welshpool Town Hall was "common knowledge" for years.

The tribunal heard that at least six members of council staff knew about the issues but they were told by former town clerk Robert Robinson that it would be fixed.

Lizzie Moore, who was Mr Robertson’s personal assistant, told the tribunal that she was the whistle-blower who told councillors on August 23 2019 that the fire alarm system did not work. She had said concerns were raised “several times” to Mr Robinson during the nine to 12 months before he left the council in October 2019.

“I had to speak out,” she said. “The councillors were absolutely horrified, and I was so relieved that they now know.

“If something happened I would never forgive myself because I then knew how bad it was. No way you could cover it up to that extent.”

Former deputy clerk Martin Bond has taken his case against Welshpool Town Council and Mr Robinson claiming he was wrongfully dismissed for whistleblowing.

Mr Bond said that when he was given responsibility for the Town Hall, he was “unaware there were issues with the fire alarm system until I stumbled across them”.

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Staff member Paul McGrath said he was told by Mr Robinson to remove batteries from a smoke alarm to stop it bleeping “because it was annoying the councillors”.

Former Mayor Estelle Bleivas, who admitted hearing “gossip” about the fire alarm failures three months before it was made public, said: “I should have got off my backside and done more. We [councillors] are to blame for many things and we did not question them.”

The employment tribunal will hear from Mr Robertson and Mr Bond later this week, and the it is expected to conclude on Friday (December 10).