A PROBE is to be launched into Scottish Borders Council's role in bringing the Great Tapestry of Scotland to Tweedbank.

And the new working group will also investigate the influence which was held by trustees of the attraction.

The local authority's Scrutiny Panel considered recent developments, which saw a 4,000-signature public petition ignored and a depleted four-strong committee pass the planning application, and have agreed to form a working party to investigate.

Members of Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council had requested that the Panel look into the Tapestry during the October meeting.

Tweeddale councillor Keith Cockburn proposed the motion for an investigation. He said: "There has been a lot of public disquiet about the Tapestry and the processes.

"Was the consultation that was carried out good enough? Were other sites properly examined?

"And there is also concerns about how much influence the trustees of the Tapestry had on proceedings."

The committee members' vote for a full investigation was tied at three-all, but chair Gavin Logan used his casting vote for an in-house inquiry to be conducted.

The Tapestry Working Group of councillors will be formed at the next Scrutiny meeting later this month .

And the terms of the investigation will also be determined.

Councillor Gavin Logan said: "As the chairman I thought that it was important to scrutinise the request from Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council.

"I was pleased to support Councillor Cockburn's motion to set up a working group to scrutinise the process that led to the decision to build a building for the Tapestry at Tweedbank.

"The remit of the Scrutiny committee is to question how some of the key decisions are made and investigate issues of local concern to residents."

Councillor Cockburn and his Scrutiny colleague Alastair Cranston have already volunteered to join the working group.