AN INVESTIGATION into the finances at Abingdon BID, prompted by concerns from business owners, has finished.

A spokeswoman for Vale of White Horse District Council, which carried out the 'observation review', confirmed yesterday the findings have now been handed back to the business improvements district's advisory board and it would be up to members to decide how and when the information was released.

A letter sent out to levy payers by interim advisory board chairman Mel Inness last month stated she had felt there was no other choice but to call for a financial audit by the authority.

It came after months of failing to get more detailed financial records from InPublications, the company in charge of managing Abingdon BID.

The company has since terminated its contract.

These measures followed months of pressure from a group of independent businesses, who pay 1.75 per cent of their rateable income into a ring-fenced fund for Abingdon BID, who had been calling for greater transparency about what their money is being spent on and now want an end to the scheme entirely.

A petition was signed by 102 traders last month before being handed in to the district authority.

It is a change from the support Abingdon BID enjoyed when businesses were first asked to sign up almost three years ago.

In October 2015, 58 per cent of 148 businesses voted in favour of the Abingdon BID, which promised to transform the town centre with everything from free WiFi to lobbying for a 24/7 multi-storey car park.

The full fund is predicted to total £800,000 over five years and is meant to be used to run the BID projects but business owners increasingly said they didn’t think they were getting their money’s worth.

Frustrations boiled over at a meeting in June, which led those behind Abingdon BID to refuse calls for an annual general meeting despite repeated calls from town traders.

Following these escalating tensions, Julie Downing, who has been manager of Abingdon BID since June 2016, stepped down in February and is now formally listed on Companies House as no longer being a director.

Ms Inness was unavailable to comment but has previously stated a desire to get the scheme 'back on track' and that she would put the interests of levy payers first.