If Thurrock is successful and each of the 23 councils sued had to pay an equal share, Preston would have to pay almost £2.2m, just under 10% of its annual day-to-day £23.7m revenue budget.
When the asked Preston City Council for a response, a spokesman said: “That is not something we can share details on.
“It is a question better asked of APSE.”
APSE – which describes itself as “a networking community that assists local authorities who are striving to improve their frontline services” – expressed dismay at the authority’s action.
It said Thurrock’s media statements risked undermining fairness and transparency, and opened up the potential for further legal action, which it might need to consider.
Thurrock Council leader John Kent said the authority would leave no stone unturned in its attempts to recover public money that was lost through its “well-publicised poor investments”.
