The leader of Essex County Council failed to register his links with the trust that runs four academies in Essex, the Standards Board for England has ruled.

Lord Hanningfield was patron and director of the Academies Enterprise Trust until he resigned in August last year.

The ethical watchdog began an investigation after Lord Hanningfield was reported by Colchester MP Bob Russell.

The Tory peer later registered his role as a patron of the trust, but never declared his role as a director.

Lord Hanningfield told the investigator he was not aware he was a director until recently, according to the report.

Even though he had signed the form consenting to be a director of the trust, he said he did very little of his own paperwork.

The Standards Board found Lord Hanningfield did not stand to gain financially from his links with the trust, and that he was not responsible for appointing or recommending the sponsor for proposed academy schools.

Lord Hanningfield also declared a “personal interest” as a patron at meetings where academies were discussed.

The board found no further action was necessary.

The trust runs Greensward College, in Hockley, and Maltings and New Rickstones schools, both in Witham.