A LEGAL row over wage reductions imposed on a racecourse manager by his bosses cost 10 times the amount they went to war over, it has been claimed.

Bill Farnsworth, general manager of Musselburgh Racecourse, took the committee which oversaw the course, owned by East Lothian Council, to an employment tribunal after it decided he had been overpaid and deducted nearly £10,000 from his salary.

The tribunal, which was due to go ahead last month, is understood to have been withdrawn after the two parties agreed a settlement.

However, it is being claimed by a former member of the Musselburgh Joint Racing Committee (MJRC), which ran the racecourse at the time of the disputed wages, that the case, dating back to 2013, has cost the council more than £100,000.

East Lothian Council has denied the claim.

Group Captain John Prideaux, who sat on the committee as the chairman of Lothians Racing Syndicate, is calling for an investigation into the actions of councillors on the committee by the Standards Commission and Audit Scotland.

He said: “The conduct of various councillors has been irresponsible and scandalous.

“The final legal bill from this saga alone, which comes out of racecourse finances, will most likely exceed £100,000.

“These funds should have been spent maintaining and improving the racecourse, which would have also benefited local small businesses and contractors in East Lothian.”

Musselburgh Racecourse was run by MJRC, which was made up of four East Lothian councillors and three members of Lothians Racing Syndicate, until it was disbanded in 2018.

The committee was plagued with problems as civil war broke out between councillors and the racing representatives, leading to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) demanding an independent inquiry into its governance.

This led to the setting up of Musselburgh Racing Associated Committee (MRAC), featuring four councillors and two racing experts, by the council, with plans to find a third-party operator to take over the running of the course.

Chester Race Company was due to take over at Musselburgh last week but final contracts have been delayed in the wake of coronavirus.

Musselburgh Racecourse has been closed since all horseracing in the UK was suspended on March 18.

It was alleged that, during 2013 and 2014, Mr Farnsworth received additional payments for his role as a director of the BHA.

MJRC decided he was being overpaid and went on to deduct money from his wages, which Mr Farnsworth claimed was illegal.

It is understood the committee took back about £9,500.

Mr Farnsworth was unable to comment on the settlement that has been reached.

However, Mr Prideaux said the racecourse manager had the full support of Lothians Racing Syndicate throughout the dispute.

He said: “I’m delighted for Bill and his family, who have been placed under wholly unnecessary financial and emotional stress by this and other governance episodes over several years.

“He had the wholehearted backing of the LRS, who would have been supporting witnesses at the employment tribunal, and his decision to stand up to the East Lothian councillors has been fully vindicated.

“The council settled this at the very last minute because there was no case to answer.”

An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: “While we will not comment further on matters alleged by

a former committee mem-

ber regarding an existing employee, the claims being made are not correct.

“We can confirm that the private business of MJRC / MRAC has been conducted properly at all times with all appropriate procedures having been followed in this regard.

“We would also add that there have been no legal disputes between the council and Lothians Racing Syndicate Ltd.

“Enquiries regarding employment tribunals can be pursued by consulting the register of employment tribunal decisions, which is freely available online for inspection.”