TWO Bury councillors will face no further action after they were arrested by police on suspicion of corruption.

Cllr Bob Bibby, the former Bury Council leader, and Cllr Jim Taylor had been detained at their home in Booth Road, Bacup, in January. They vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Three other men also arrested in January now face no further action.

Cllr Taylor said he plans to return to political life within Bury Conservatives, whose leader, Cllr Iain Gartside, has said he would welcome both men back into the group.

But Cllr Bibby said he is considering stepping down as a councillor.

He is suffering from suspected throat cancer and said: “I will requesting a meeting with Greater Manchester Police chief constable Peter Fahy because I don’t want this to happen again to other councillors whose political life could be ruined as a result. The timing was poor. For us to be bailed during the local election harmed the Tories.

“We would not have lost seats in Elton, Tottington and Ramsbottom without this overhanging.”

Cllr Gartside said: “We lost votes to UKIP, because parties who are in Government always lose votes and because of other factors. I disagree that we lost seats because of the investigation.”

The allegations concerned a planning application for 200 homes and a warehouse in Bury Road, Radcliffe, tabled in February, 2011 by property company Cantt Pak Ltd (CPL). In April, 2011, Bury planning committee granted permission acting on a planning officer’s recommendation.

Cllr Bibby, who was the council’s leader at the time, admitted he dined with CPL representatives in early 2011, and that Cllr Taylor attended, but said they both notified the borough solicitor of the dinner, as per council rules.

Cllr Bibby said the police investigation had been prompted by an unfounded text message.

He explained: “It is normal for council leaders to meet with major developers for the good of the borough.

“The police checked my bank records and my computer and found nothing.

“They were naive in believing one man can influence a planning application that goes through a highly regulated procedure.

Detective Superintendent Vincent Petrykowski, of the Greater Manchester Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “Throughout the investigation, there has been ongoing consultation between Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS’s decision not to prosecute has been made following the most thorough review of all the evidence.”

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman declined to respond to Cllr Bibby’s comments.