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Councillors in North Lanarkshire have voted down a call for the leader of the council to step aside while he faces a police investigation.

The motion on Jim Logue's position was rejected by 40 votes to 33.

A call for the council to publish internal audit investigation reports was defeated by the same margin.

Mr Logue, a Labour councillor, has faced criticism over the management of subsidiary companies of North Lanarkshire Leisure.

Police Scotland has started an investigation.

North Lanarkshire Council deputy leader Paul Kelly said: "The council decided today that the leader should do what he has been doing since this smear campaign started: focus on what's important to the people of North Lanarkshire.

"Councillor Logue has spent his political career fighting against precisely the kind of practices he is now falsely accused of being involved in."

But SNP leader David Stocks said: "We have put our case to the council on behalf of the public and the council has made its decision.

"The police must now be allowed to carry out their investigation without hindrance and we will not be making further comment on this issue until the police release their findings."