COUNCIL chiefs in York have been unable to find the "culprit" who stole £15,000 from authority coffers.

Simon Wiles, City of York Council's director of resources, today said the investigation into the missing cash, which disappeared from authority safes at the finance centre in Library Square, had concluded - without success.

The Evening Press reported in August how the money, believed to be in notes, was unaccounted for - sparking a major inquiry.

Members of staff at the finance centre were questioned, as were workers at the security firm used by the council, by the authority's internal audit team and police.

It is thought the cash had been received from the public in council tax payments. The council put in a claim to its insurers a month ago.

Now Mr Wiles, has revealed that the person responsible has not been caught.

He said a range of steps were being taken to improve security and that changes were also being made to cash handling procedures.

"The police and the auditors have recently completed their investigations into the events surrounding the money going missing.

"It was stolen, but it has not been possible to identify the culprit," he wrote.

"We are taking a range of steps to further improve security including improved CCTV coverage and changes to cash handling procedures.

"The stolen money is covered by insurance so there will be no cost to the council tax payer.

"While the theft of £15,000 is a serious matter, it should be viewed in the context that the council's cashiers handle more than £16 million per year in cash and considerably more in cheques. This was the first significant theft since I joined the council in 1996."

The theft was one of a series of unconnected investigations launched by the council earlier in the year.

On was into commercial services director David Finnegan, who was suspended for time. But the inquiry has now ended, after Mr Finnegan took early retirement.

In another separate case, the conduct of a worker at the Heworth Family Centre is also under investigation.

Updated: 10:05 Monday, October 17, 2005