THE Mayor of Camden, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari, was suspended from the Liberal Democrat group yesterday because he under investigation by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Kentish Town councillor is understood to have been questioned by benefit inv

THE Mayor of Camden, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari, was suspended from the Liberal Democrat group yesterday because he under investigation by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Kentish Town councillor is understood to have been questioned by benefit investigators from the DWP and released without charge although an investigation is ongoing.

Leader of the Lib Dems and the council leader Keith Moffitt called a meeting of all the Lib Dems on Monday night where it was decided to suspend Cllr Ansari.

Liberal Democrat councillor Flick Rea said: "He has been suspended from our group while he is under investigation from the Department for Work and Pensions. We had a group meeting and suspended him."

Cllr Ansari was voted in as Mayor last May and he has been a councillor in Camden since 2006. The investigation is unrelated to council funds.

Leader of the Conservatives Cllr Andrew Marshall said: "These are serious allegations, and it would not be right to comment further given the ongoing investigation. In this country everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Benefit fraud is a pernicious crime, and all of us in public office have a duty to maintain the highest standards of probity.