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The meeting comes 48 hours after the Metropolitan Police said it was issuing the first batch of “partygate” fines.

Twenty penalty charge notices are being sent to people who attended lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Ms Josephs has not responded to media inquiries about a fine. Those who do receive one are not obliged to inform their employer and their names will not be made public by police.

The committee deciding the fate of Sheffield Council chief executive Kate Josephs will meet to consider an independent investigation

It’s understood the committee meeting had been organised in advance and it’s a coincidence that it is happening the same week as the fines.

The cross party committee will consider the investigator’s report but says there is very little information that can be shared publicly.

It will meet behind closed doors and no information is expected to be released as councillors will need time to digest the report.

The council has not revealed who the investigator is or what their remit is.

Process carried out in private

A council spokesperson said: “It was announced in February that an independent investigator would be brought in.

“The committee will review the investigator’s report at the meeting and they will need to meet again once they have had time to properly consider the contents. Until then, the committee needs to focus on its work.”

The investigation has been carried out in private. The council says there is a rigid process it must follow that forms part of the contract for any statutory officer.

The investigator was brought in after Ms Josephs became the subject of a police inquiry.

The Sue Gray report confirmed police would investigate a party that Ms Josephs attended at the Cabinet Office on December 17, 2020.

She was working as director general of the Covid Taskforce and held leaving drinks before starting her new role at Sheffield Council.

Ms Josephs has remained on paid leave from her £190,000 job since mid January. Senior director Eugene Walker has been given a salary top-up to cover the CEO role in her absence.

The committee is chaired by Coun Julie Grocutt, with councillors Penny Baker, Douglas Johnson, Shaffaq Mohammed and Sioned-Mair Richards.

Kate Josephs: Independent investigator presents “partygate” report to Sheffield Council committee