The mayor asked Cheshire East leader Michael Jones to resign over contracts issued to his physiotherapist.

Coun Hilda Gaddum, who is also a councillor for Sutton, told the Express she believes Coun Jones’s position is untenable after three contracts worth up to £156,000 were issued to Core Fit, run by Amanda Morris, outside the normal tendering process.

She claimed the leader ‘misled’ the council over the issue at the last full council meeting on October 22, when Coun Jones admitted introducing his physio to council officers but said he had nothing to do with issuing the contracts.

But emails released following a Freedom of Information request suggest Mr Jones was aware and helped Ms Morris write a positive assessment of how Core Fit had fulfilled one of the council’s contracts in June.

Coun Jones also drafted an email to George Osborne MP, praising Ms Morris’s company, which he ran past her to approve in June.

Coun Gaddum has called for a full investigation, she told the Express she wrote to Michael Jones in October to express her concerns over the Core Fit contracts and ask for his resignation.

She said: “I believe that Michael Jones misled council at its last meeting, in that he said he introduced his physio and that was that. But now I have seen evidence which appears to show him lobbying for her. I don’t believe that’s something you can do when you have declared an interest.

“That’s why I believe his position is untenable.

“I wrote to Michael Jones to express my concerns over Core Fit and other matters and said it would be better if he resigned. He should consider his position in light of the Core Fit contracts. The focus now should be on having an independent external investigation along the lines of Lyme Green. This issue is damaging the reputation of the council.

“In my role as mayor and chairman of the council, it’s my duty to be the conscience of the council and that’s why I wanted to speak out.”

The Express revealed in October that council officers waived the normal rules to award Core Fit a contract to provide fitness classes at primary schools and community centres across Cheshire East.

Three contracts worth up to £156,000 were awarded to Core Fit to provide fitness sessions in schools and community centres and mind health training. Another £23,000 was allocated as part of an extension to the contract, but council bosses say it was never paid.

The council is allowed to waive a tender in ‘very limited exceptions’ which are ‘essential to the efficient running’ of the authority.

Coun Jones has denied any involvement in the waiver of the tendering process.

Coun Gaddum said: “A waiver should only been used for things that are an emergency and there is no time for a tendering process. It doesn’t seem appropriate to issue the contracts to Core Fit in this way.”

Council chief executive Mike Suarez has previously said last month there has been no ‘unlawful expenditure’ or any breach of EU procurement rules.

He said: “External audit has been kept fully informed and has reviewed the documentary evidence relating to this issue.

“These issues and key learning from all waivers issued will be reported to the council’s audit and governance committee and will be responded to through their audit work in this area.

“I see no reason for an external investigation and have discussed that view with the external auditors, who are independent of the council and satisfied that the approach the council has taken does not require their formal involvement.

“It is important to remember that the tender for ‘children powered physical activity and fitness programme’ was not awarded.

“A separate pre-existing pilot was extended to aid better understanding of the possible outcomes. An evaluation of the outcomes is starting in 2015/16.”

In his most recent statement he said: “Whilst these are all important matters and can be responded to in due course, the Council has not yet reported its internal audit findings to the Council’s appropriate audit and governance committee.

“It would therefore be inappropriate to continue to answer questions in a piecemeal way until the audit process is complete and has been presented to members of this committee.

“It is clear that lessons can be learned from this and the Council will address these matters fully.”

Amanda Morris has not been available for comment.