A SENIOR Glasgow City Council staff member has been sacked for gross professional misconduct.
His dismissal follows an internal investigation into claims that staff have been trawling pornographic sites on the Internet during office hours.
The long serving employee worked in the service reviews' department - whose duties include looking at the support given to women's groups in the city. Alleged abuses of computer equipment were uncovered during routine checks.
It is understood the employee, who worked in the chief executive's department before moving to service reviews, is to appeal. His case would be heard by a panel of councillors who deal with disciplinary matters.
Council staff are not allowed to surf the Web for personal purposes, with dismissal following worst-case scenarios.
Officials trod warily during the investigation because it is often difficult to prove beyond doubt who has ''hit'' explicit Internet sites.
Although staff have individual passwords to gain access to the Internet, it is possible that colleagues could discover them and key in - or simply use computers which have been left on during desk absences.
However, every time an employee calls up the Internet a warning notice on misuse is posted on the computer screen. They also sign a code on good security practice, and a declaration that they will not breach council policy on the personal use of equipment.
Up to 400 Glasgow council staff have direct Internet access in schools and libraries as well as service departments, including the chief executive's within the City Chambers in George Square.
A council spokesman said yesterday: ''One member of staff has been dismissed under the council's disciplinary procedures for gross professional misconduct. We do not discuss individual cases.''
Other local authorities also carry out regular checks on Internet use. In Fife a planning official resigned after pornographic material was found on his office computer. In North Lanarkshire computers were removed by police after degrading images were found amid claims a councillor had downloaded them.
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