A FORMER chairman of Derbyshire County Council will appear in court to "hear whether he will be charged on three counts of theft".

Conservative councillor Robin Baldry was the authority's public face from June 2009 to April last year.

But, in April, Derbyshire police began an investigation into his expenses claims after a routine review by the council's internal auditors found "irregularities".

The authority and police did not name the councillor but it was understood at the time to be Mr Baldry, who represents Buxton West division.

A police spokeswoman has said that a 69-year-old man, understood to be Mr Baldry, has been "summonsed to appear at court on a date yet to be fixed". She said it related to three counts of theft and that the expenses claims concerned "mileage and subsistence allowance".

Councillor Kevin Parkinson, chief whip of the county's Tory group, said: "A member of my group has been summonsed to court to hear whether he will be charged on three counts of theft following a police investigation.

"The member, previously issued with a notice of possible suspension, continues under that notice until this future court date is set and we know the outcome."

Mr Baldry, of Terrace Road, Buxton, was elected to the council in May 2005.