HER boss called her "courageous" for risking an important personal day to carry out such a test - but it was a move which outraged many of York's motorists.

Transport supreme Coun Ann Reid caused fury after the Evening Press discovered her daughter had been given a "green wave" through the city's traffic lights on her wedding day.

Coun Reid asserted she had been asked to test out a new system designed to assist emergency vehicles.

But today the Evening Press can reveal that there is not one written piece of evidence to back up this claim.

This is despite the City of York Council at the time issuing an official statement which read: "This new system has to be tested by following a known, identifiable vehicle or vehicles.

"Ms Reid's wedding party provided a useful opportunity to do this. The system worked. Further checks have been carried out since on other vehicles."

Using the Freedom of Information Act, the Evening Press has discovered there was not one email, fax or memo to confirm it was an official test of the system.

At the time Coun Reid, insisted she agreed to the trial - which took place last August - "for the best reasons", believing she was helping to test a traffic control system that could save lives.

But when asked in October, after the story emerged, who suggested she should test the system on her daughter's wedding day, she replied: "I don't really know. I think it may have been an officer. But I cannot really remember where the suggestion came from. I have lots of conversations about lots of trials."

Today, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, Labour's transport spokeswoman, said: "I find it absolutely unbelievable that officers set up this trial and there was no written record between them and Coun Reid of how it was going to be carried out, monitored and evaluated.

"Obviously there are going to be questions asked at the Standards Board."

The Evening Press used the Freedom Of Information Act to investigate how the crucial decisions were taken before Coun Reid's wedding party was handed the "green wave" through traffic lights to a city church.

Our request asked for any details discussing the testing of the system, before and after the event between Coun Reid and City of York Council officials.

A council spokeswoman said: "Under the Act, we are required to provide recorded information in relation to the request.

"On this occasion there is no recorded information; all arrangements made were done verbally. The incident is the subject of a Standards Board for England investigation."

Coun Reid apologised, in October last year, after admitting it had been a "misjudgement" and a "lapse in my usual high standards".

The aftermath of the incident saw a Standards Board investigation launched and the story making headlines as far away as Australia.

Today, Coun Reid said: "I have no comment to make about this matter."

The hardest word

"I'M sorry!"

That was how Coun Ann Reid responded when the Evening Press learned she had used her daughter's wedding convoy to trial a new emergency traffic lights system.

The big day had been two months earlier when Coun Reid apologised for the "lapse in my usually high standards", but the wedding of Hannah Reid and Simon Fraser still made headlines around the world.

It appeared in more than 100 TV, radio and newspaper reports worldwide, including the national press, Have I Got News For You and even newspapers in Australia.

The Evening Press mailbag was packed with letters from readers, some attacking Coun Reid's actions, but others in support of how the traffic trial was conducted.

The case was referred by Coun Reid to the Standards Board for England for investigation, but the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe councillor refused to resign.

A motion of no confidence was defeated.

Updated: 10:28 Monday, January 30, 2006