IN a story headed 'Revealed: The truth behind planning outcry', published on December 1, 2009, the Lincolnshire Echo reported that a planning application by Bernard Theobald, the then leader of West Lindsey District Council, resulted in a suspension of a planning officer and an investigation into an alleged "potential fraud and mismanagement" in the planning function of the council.

A similar statement was made in a follow-up story on December 4, 2009, headed 'You cannot be serious', which reported Mr Theobald's resignation from the council, and in a story dated January 1, 2010, headed 'Councillor's future to be discussed'.

The connection between "potential fraud and mismanagement" and Mr Theobald's planning application was made in reliance on a press release from the council dated September 24, 2009.

The article correctly reported that a planning application submitted by Mr Theobald had been withdrawn by the chief executive of the council.

It also correctly reported that a planning officer at the council had been suspended and that an investigation into potential fraud and mismanagement in the planning department of the authority had been undertaken.

However, we now accept that the connection between the planning application and the investigation into potential fraud in planning at the council should not have been made.

We now know that the planning officer in question was suspended, and that the original investigation commenced, some months before Mr Theobald's application was even submitted.

Our linking of the three events was an error based on the press release of September 24, 2009, which was the first time we became aware of all three events.

We apologise unreservedly to Mr Theobald for any distress or embarrassment caused by this error.