A POLITICAL hopeful who claimed a council hid two lorries has been told he can get "accurate" information - as he’s a member of the authority.

Conservative Welsh Assembly candidate Gary Price claimed the council had "hidden" for seven months two large lorries it wasn’t using while paying out large sums to lease similar vehicles.

But the independent-run council’s cabinet member for highways, Councillor John Brunt said the authority stopped leasing such lorries last August.

The Beguildy member said: "As a member of Powys County Council, Cllr Gary Price could have approached council officers and obtained accurate facts and had his concerns addressed last year."

The Brecon and Radnorshire candidate said he’d been tipped off the lorries, known as hotbox vehicles, had been taken out of service in July.

He said the council had then taken the vehicles to its Presteigne depot.

Cllr Price said: "At a time when Powys County Council is leasing vehicles at great cost to the tax payer, it is wholly unacceptable that two perfectly good vehicles have been taken off the road and hidden away for seven months.

"This area is facing massive cuts that are set to impact of vital services. It is disappointing to say the least that this has been allowed to happen. Even more worrying is the lack of clarity in terms of an explanation."

The councillor said he had been reminded of the vehicles following last month’s full council meeting when it was agreed to roll forward into next year’s budget an unspent £5m on vehicle and plant replacement.

Cllr Brunt confirmed four hotbox vehicles were declared surplus by the highways department at the end of June, 2015.

Two of the vehicles were quickly sold through a specialist auction house and the two remaining lorries, which were said to be in good condition, retained for a more detailed review.

Cllr Price said: "They were de-licensed and as these vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight had to be parked at an authorised operating centre.

"Formal quotes for the specialist conversion work were obtained and one vehicle was converted into a basic white lining vehicle. With no business case for converting the fourth vehicle for white lining or traffic management work, it will be sold at a specialist auction house.

"Lease arrangements for all commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes ended in August 2015 with vehicles in this group, including the four of the vehicles, now owned outright by the council and managed to ensure optimum long-term use."