County council chiefs have been accused of riding roughshod through their own policy by employing contractors from outside the county.

It follows the disclosure that 10 businesses from outside Carmarthenshire have been awarded tenders at the expense of a well-known local company that has served the local authority for the past 14 years.

Now it is being claimed that up to 20 jobs could be affected by County Hall’s decision to tender companies from as far afield as Swansea, Bridgend and Cardiff.

“They keep stressing the importance of supporting local businesses, supporting the community and spending money locally and then leave us out in the cold,” the owner of the business, who didn’t want to be named, told the Cambrian News.

“We just don’t understand how those firms achieved better scores than we did for minor local works.”

Solicitors representing the firm have mounted a legal challenge.

In a letter to the council they wrote: “Our client has been working for you for 14 years – he is of the opinion he has been one of the main contractors in Carmarthen.

“Our client went above and beyond last year to do extra work for you as a result of you losing contractors.

“Given our client’s dedication and reliability and the sound working relationship between you, we are therefore surprised that you have scored our client so low on this tender.”

The business owner said the council’s decision could lead to up to 20 jobs, including some apprenticeships, being lost.

See this week’s south papers for the full story, available in shops and as a digital edition on Wednesday