A member of staff at Peel Town Commissioners is currently under investigation.

Former MHK and chairman of the commissioners Ray Harmer confirmed that the probe into the unnamed employee relates to a ‘formal employment matter’.

The suspension was confirmed in a statement Mr Harmer read out during a meeting of the board on Thursday evening.

He told those in attendance the matter was confidential and asked residents to respect the process while it remains ongoing.

Mr Harmer also said a thorough external investigation was required and stressed he would not comment further until it had concluded.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Harmer said: ‘There’s a live formal employment matter involving a member of staff, so that requires a thorough external investigation.

‘It has to be done in order, correctly and properly, and until that concludes I can’t really report exactly what it’s about.

‘It makes it difficult for me to say what’s going on, but it’s confidential because of the people involved.’

News of the suspension comes just weeks after Peel Town Commissioner Katryna Baptist posted a video on social media outlining what she described as ongoing issues within the boardroom.

However, it is not clear whether the investigation is linked to those concerns.

In the clip, Mrs Baptist raised concerns about communication within the authority and alleged official minutes are ‘often repeatedly inaccurate’, with some matters ‘recorded inaccurately’ or ‘missing entirely’.

In response, the board issued a statement saying her remarks were ‘inaccurate and do not reflect the views of the Board’.

Following Thursday’s meeting, Mrs Baptist confirmed she would continue in her role.

‘I can’t just quit, because then I don’t achieve anything,’ she said.

A number of residents watched proceedings from the public gallery on Thursday and Mrs Baptist said she was encouraged by the level of public support, urging more residents to take an interest in local politics.

‘I felt really encouraged. It was lovely to see all those Peel ratepayers come in and take an interest,’ she said.

‘I hope they come again, because it’s in this boardroom we make decisions that affect everybody.’

Speaking after the meeting to the Local Democracy Service, Mr Harmer acknowledged the concerns raised but urged a more balanced view of the board’s work.

He said: ‘It’s very, very sad. I feel we have to be careful not to continually talk down everything commissioners do.

‘Peel’s a wonderful place. We have so much good community here, and we should try to be positive rather than tearing things down.’

He added the board operates collectively and must follow formal procedures, including standing orders, to ensure decisions are made properly and fairly.

‘When things are said, we have to do everything properly, correctly and above board,’ he said.

‘Sometimes it is important to get the right advice to ensure we are doing things correctly.’

However, he reiterated that confidentiality around the investigation meant he could not provide further detail at this stage.