11 October 2010 Last updated at 23:14 ET

Scandal-hit California official's home toilet-papered

A scandal-hit former manager of the Californian town of Bell has had his home toilet-papered by mischief-makers.

Robert Rizzo is one of eight officials from Bell to have been charged with misusing $5.5m (£3.5m) in public funds, in an alleged city pay scandal.

Neighbours woke on Monday to find the front of his Huntington Beach home strewn with streamers of toilet paper, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Mr Rizzo, who is free on $2m (£1.3m) bail, was not thought to be home.

Residents of Bell, a blue-collar town, were outraged this summer when it was revealed that Mr Rizzo was being paid almost $800,000 (£500,000) - nearly twice what the US president earns - in his role as city manager.

Mr Rizzo, who resigned following the reports, faces 53 charges of misappropriation of public funds and conflict of interest. He had been city manager for 17 years.

He and the other seven officials accused of involvement have not yet pleaded to the charges against them.

The 40,000 residents of the town, where one in six people falls below the poverty line, had been paying large property taxes and sewer fees.