LANCASHIRE
Much outrage after a council officer involved in an expenses scandal and allowed to leave quietly with a £100,000 pay-off is… re-employed!

CROYDON
The council’s shiny new offices, it’s emerged, actually cost more per square metre to build than London’s landmark Shard.

NORFOLK
Social services suspends a manager accused of concocting evidence to support a (mistaken) decision to remove a four-year-old from foster carer.

CHESHIRE EAST
Tweets from the Tory leader attacking his political opponents are in fact the work of the council’s ‘politically neutral’ press officers.

COTSWOLD
Accusations of cronyism as local Tory grandee Earl Bathurst wins approval in principle for 2,350 new homes on 300 of his 15,500 rolling-in-it acres.

TOWER HAMLETS
Mayor Lutfur Rahman tweets triumphantly that the borough’s Early Years scheme is shortlisted for an award – only to learn the nomination was last year (and the council didn’t win).