A FORMER Labour Party councillor who was the chairman of a board of primary school governors has appeared in court charged with child pornography offences.

Keith Potts is accused of having 24 indecent pictures of youngsters on his home computer.

"We can confirm the chair of governors has resigned"


The 60-year-old, from Edenfield, West Pelton, Chester-le- Street, appeared at Consett Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He entered no pleas to the 13 counts of making indecent images of children on or before November 12, 2008.

The offences were allegedly carried out while he was the elected representative for the Urpeth ward of Chester-le- Street District Council.

He served as councillor in the area for 26 years, from 1983 to May last year, when the body was abolished and replaced by Durham County Council.

Mr Potts was chairman of the board of school governors at West Pelton Primary School, near Chester-le- Street, but has since resigned.

A spokesperson from Durham County Council said: “We can confirm the chair of governors has resigned as chair and as a member of the governing body.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further while court proceedings are continuing.”

His legal representative, Christian Harbinson, made an application for the case to be adjourned for a week.

John Garside, prosecuting, did not oppose the application and said the images were at the lower end of the scale in terms of seriousness.
He said: “There is no information to suggest these offences are in any way connected with the primary school where he was a governor.”

Chairman of the bench Brian Thompson granted the application for the adjournment and gave Mr Potts unconditional bail until Tuesday.

Mr Potts was given the opportunity to comment about the charges he is facing as he left court, but he declined.

A Durham Police spokesman said: “We cannot comment on active court cases.”

A London mayor has been suspended from his post after being arrested on suspicion of benefit fraud.

Camden Mayor Omar Faruque Ansari, 55, was led from the north London borough's town hall by police on Monday.

He was questioned at Holborn police station over claims that he was falsely claiming disability benefits.

A council spokesman said the allegations did not relate to Mr Ansari's work at the council. Mr Ansari was released on bail until March.

He joined Camden Council's Liberal Democrats in 2006 and became mayor in May last year.

'Serious investigation'

Council leader Keith Moffitt said Mr Ansari would be suspended from the Liberal Democrat group while a "serious investigation" was carried out.

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said: "Officers assisting the Department for Work and Pensions arrested a 55-year-old man yesterday.

"He was taken into custody at a central London police station and bailed to return to a date in March."

The Camden Council spokesman said he would not comment on "allegations relating to the personal lives of its members".

But he added: "No information would suggest that these allegations are connected to Councillor Ansari's work with the council. "We must also note at this stage that these are merely allegations."

A Medway councillor has been expelled from his party after being caught kerb crawling.

Cllr Nick Brice, 64, pictured, has been thrown out of the Medway Conservative party after being caught trying to pick up a prostitute in Rochester.

The leader of the party, Cllr Rodney Chambers took the decision to dismiss him this week, after the matter, which happened in November came to light.

Cllr Rodney Chambers said: “The Leader and members of the Conservative Group on Medway Council believes that all elected members should demonstrate and uphold the highest standards in public office and public life.

A serious matter has arisen concerning Cllr Nick Brice’s private conduct outside of the council and as a consequence of this the Conservative Group has taken the decision to expel Cllr Brice from membership of the group with immediate effect.”

A spokesman for Medway Police said: “A 64-year old man from Chatham was arrested on November 2, 2009, on suspicion of kerb crawling in Rochester .

“The man admitted to the offence and was given a conditional caution.”

It is not clear if Cllr Brice will stand down as a councillor altogether or stand as an independent one.

Every effort was made by the Medway Messenger to contact Cllr Brice but he was not available.

 

A Sunderland city councillor has been expelled from his party after he made offensive comments about rape at a meeting.

Conservative party chiefs said comments by Washington South member Eddie Wake, 56, at the end of a meeting with police, were "totally unacceptable".

Senior party officials expelled him from the Conservative group on Monday.

Mr Wake said he intended to stay on as a councillor and regretted his "lapse of judgement".

At least three councillors reported Mr Wake to his party and to Sunderland Council's standards committee, after he cracked what was described as a "sick joke" at the close of a recent meeting with police about a rape prevention campaign.


The other 21 Conservative councillors on Sunderland City Council feel very let down
Lee Martin, Sunderland Council Tory group leader

On Monday evening Mr Wake appeared before senior Tory party officials and was dismissed from Sunderland's Conservative group.

Group leader Lee Martin said: "When I ask anyone to go out and vote for a Conservative candidate, I've got a minimum expectation, should that person be elected, of how they conduct themselves.

"Eddie Wake has come in well below that standard and as a result is no longer a Conservative councillor.

"We have no sanction to suspend him from council, but there is a complaint in with the standards board and the council can do that if they see fit.

"As soon as the comments were reported to me I brought Eddie in and told him in no uncertain terms that it was unacceptable and what the likely consequences would be.

"The other 21 Conservative councillors on Sunderland City Council feel very let down by Eddie."

Mr Wake said: "I intend to remain as a councillor pending the outcome of a standards committee investigation. "I hope my constituents will judge me on the work I have done for them in the past and not on a single lapse of judgement. "I want to continue to work for the constituents of Washington South." 

A WELL-KNOWN councillor and former leader in Sheffield's war on crime has been arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs.
Sheffield councillor Mazher Iqbal, a prominent member of the city council's Labour shadow cabinet, was one of two men arrested in the Handsworth area on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug.

He has been released on police bail while officers carry out further investigations.

As an advisor for community safety before his party lost control of the council last May, Coun Iqbal was responsible for formulating the council's approach to problems with drugs, violence and other crime.

The former chair of the Darnall forum, Coun Iqbal is a well-known figure in Darnall and Attercliffe, particularly among his ward's large Asian population.

He was first elected as a councillor in 2006 with 55 per cent of his ward's vote and is known as a hard-working campaigning councillor.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "Just before midnight on Friday, November 20, two Sheffield men in their 30s were arrested in the Handsworth area of Sheffield, on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug.

"Both males are currently on police bail pending further inquiries."

When he was approached by The Star Coun Iqbal declined to comment. Labour group leader Jan Wilson also refused to comment. A spokesman for Yorkshire and the Humber Labour Party said: "As a party we do not comment on ongoing police investigations.

He added: "We would expect any member to assist the police if called upon to do so."

Two years ago Coun Iqbal was one of five men mistakenly arrested on suspicion of robbery while leafleting for Labour MP Clive Betts.

Coun Iqbal said it was a case of mistaken identity, and the commander of South Yorkshire Police later publicly apologised.

Former £127,000-a-year deputy mayor Ian Clement takes a break from painting a lavatory block wearing a “community payback” jacket.

The Standard's exclusive pictures show Boris Johnson's former right-hand man for the first time since he was convicted of fraud over his City Hall expenses.

Five months ago Clement, 44, was one of the most powerful political figures in London. He flew around the world helping plan the 2012 Olympics and represented the capital at the 9/11 memorial service in New York.

But in a sharp fall from grace, he is now completing 100 hours of community service and living with a suspended 12-week prison sentence, a 9pm curfew and an electronic tag.

Unemployed, Clement's 27-year political career is over. He is pictured helping refurbish the lavatories and changing rooms at King George's playing fields in Sidcup, Kent.

He spent more than an hour labouring outside with a handful of other offenders on community service, who were taken to the grounds by bus.

A friend today said Clement is “totally destroyed” by the conviction.

Clement, a former Bexley councillor, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation last month after using his City Hall credit card to entertain his girlfriend and another woman. Two other charges were ordered to lie on the court file. He was given a corporate card to cover any “exceptional” expenditure while abroad on City Hall business.

But he used it to pay for two meals with 23-year-old Claire Dowson — for whom he left the mother of his son — and a dinner with PR assistant Joanna Laban. He lied and said he had dined with Tory council leaders. The three meals cost £156.70.

Clement was first suspected of impropriety last November when he started sending cheques to City Hall to cover personal spending he had made on his work credit card. He initially used it to upgrade tickets for himself and a colleague on a flight to the Beijing Olympics. Clement then ignored a series of warnings and continued to use the card for more than £2,300 of personal spending, racking up bills in excess of £7,000.

His spending included £535 of work to his Jaguar and two £100-plus meals at Le Pont De La Tour restaurant at London Bridge, all of which he has since repaid.

When the spending was revealed, the Mayor initially decided his friend had made an error of judgment but, following warnings, demanded his resignation on 22 June. The Greater London Authority referred the matter to the police two days later.

Sentencing Clement, Judge Quentin Purdy said he had “flagrantly and arrogantly” misused taxpayers' money.

He told Clement he had come “very close indeed” to being sent to prison. “You knew full well what you were doing was dishonest and it is your fault and your fault entirely,” the judge said.

Clement, a former postman from Crayford, publicly apologised to Mr Johnson outside Westminster magistrates' court, saying he was “truly sorry”. He admitted he had “let down” taxpayers and colleagues.

Last month Clement's lawyer, Jim Sturman, QC, said his client was “innately a good man” and that “his life is ruined and he has to rebuild it, but he accepts it is his fault”.

A close friend of Clement today said he is completing his punishment without complaint but believes his behaviour was not as bad as some of the expenses claims by MPs that are being investigated.

 

Councillor Bertha Joseph has been suspended as a councillor for six months following a decision last night (13 Oct 09) by Brent Council's Standards Committee.

The committee met to consider allegations of breaches of the Councillor Code of Conduct by Councillor Joseph. The committee found that Councillor Joseph failed to register within 28 days receipt of gifts of cash from two local businesses amounting to £900 and recommended that Councillor Joseph pay the sum of £900 to the current Mayor's charity. The committee also found that Councillor Joseph brought her office into disrepute and used her position as Mayor to gain an advantage for herself by obtaining sponsorship in the context of the Mayor's Charity Ball which she used to buy clothes for her personal use.

The hearing was held in public but Councillor Joseph did not attend.

The effect of the suspension is that Councillor Joseph will not be able to perform council duties until the end of the suspension period. This includes constituency work and any formal business of the council.

Councillor Joseph has a right to apply to the Adjudication Panel for permission to appeal the decision.

Sandwell Council leader Bill Thomas has quit after being charged by police with theft.

Coun Thomas, aged 69, resigned as council leader today, although he remains a councillor. He was one of the West Midlands’ longest serving council leaders.

Deputy Labour group leader Steve Elking has taken over the task of leading the council.

Details of the alleged offence are unclear, but Sandwell Council chief executive Dr Allison Fraser confirmed that Coun Thomas had decided to stand down.

Dr Fraser said: “The council has been notified that a 69-year-old man has been charged with theft.

“We have been advised by police that this is a personal matter. The council has not been approached by police about their investigation.”

Coun Thomas’s decision to quit was reported to shocked colleagues at a Sandwell cabinet meeting this morning.

Coun Eling said: “Coun Thomas’s resignation is for reasons which are wholly unconnected with the council and his role here.

“For us it is business as usual. We have recently strengthened the leadership team by appointing a third deputy.

“I as leader and councillors Pauline Hinton and Darren Cooper as deputies are available to ensure council business goes ahead smoothly.”


UPDATE 13/11/2009

Former Sandwell Council leader Bill Thomas today admitted a charge of theft as he appeared in court.

Magistrates were told three cheques worth a total of £1,300 had been paid out from a NatWest bank account belonging to the 69-year-old to close friend Gareth Hall between April 21 and 24 last year .

Thomas later reported to the bank that he did not know Hall and the cash was reimbursed, but following his arrest Thomas admitted to police he had known Hall for six years.

The Labour councillor and former headteacher, who was arrested last month and resigned immediately as council leader, had originally vowed to fight the charges before pleading guilty today.

He was handed a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay back the £1,300 in compensation and costs of £145.

The court was also told Thomas, of Viking Rise, Rowley Regis, was stepping down from his role as councillor for the Rowley ward.

Gareth Hall, aged 28, also of Viking Rise, pleaded guilty at Sutton Coldfield magistrates today to fraud by false representation. He admitted using Thomas’ credit card nine times without his knowledge as well as writing cheques belonging to Thomas out to himself.

The case against Hall was adjourned until December 4. He was granted bail.

Thomas refused to comment after the case.

A CITY councillor has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a woman in her front garden.

Coun Marcia Watson, of Bilborough ward, has been accused of assaulting Fiona Kirlew, 28, who is the mother of Coun Watson's grandson.

Police arrested Jorael and Shimone Thomas at the same time. The Evening Post understands they are Coun Watson's children and the arrests followed a conversation about Coun Watson's grandchild's comfort blanket.

It is the second arrest of a city councillor to be revealed by the Evening Post this week. The other was Councillor Hassan Ahmed.

The allegations against Coun Watson relate to an incident which took place at about 9.30pm on October 28 outside her home in Nuthall Road.

Ms Kirlew, of Lenton Boulevard, who has known Coun Watson for about 10 years, is understood to have been left with cuts and bruises after the incident. She was treated by paramedics.

Coun Watson has refused to comment.

A police spokesman said: "Two women, aged 47 and 25, and a man aged 22 were arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. All have been granted police bail, pending further inquiries, until December 5."

A spokesman for Nottingham City Council said they were not in a position to comment. i

 

A FORMER Lord Mayor has been suspended after he got drunk at an official ball and made lewd sexual comments to two female colleagues.

Councillor Andy Matchet was hosting the Lord Mayor's Ball in Coventry last year when he approached two women and told one: ''I'd like to f*** you''.

Cllr Matchet — who was wearing his ceremonial gold chains at the time — also talked about having orgasms and boasted about losing his virginity.

The 57-year-old, of Coventry, admits downing wine and cocktails and claims he can only remember ''some aspects'' of the evening.

He said: ''I am an extremely argumentative person. It is the sort of comment I would have made as part of an argument about radical feminism.

"I would have said it argumentatively, not invitationally. "I'd had several glasses of wine and was on medication because of my bad back, including paracetemol, Codeine, Ibuprofen and dodo tablets, an over the counter low level amphetamine."

The outburst came during a conversation between the then Lord Mayor, the council's equality and diversity policy officer Laura Slegg, and a third woman named only as 'Miss X'.

Laura, 27, told the council's standard's committee: ''He asked how old she was and he said how old he was.

"He twice said he'd like to f*** her and twice asked if she'd like to f*** him. The three of us had been talking about orgasms and he told us how old he was when he lost his virginity.

A FORMER Newton Abbot mayor has been arrested by police investigating an allegation he sexually assaulted a man.

Town councillor Allan Vizor, 63, of Newcross Park, Kingsteignton, has been questioned by police after a complaint was made to officers.

He was formally arrested under a section of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 after attending Torquay police station on the morning of Wednesday last week.

He was interviewed and has been released on police bail.

Cllr Vizor declined to comment yesterday.

Newton Abbot Town Council's clerk Phil Rowe confirmed he had spoken with Cllr Vizor and mayor Cllr David Corney-Walker, saying: "Both myself and the mayor are aware of the allegation and I have spoken to Cllr Vizor about the situation."

Cllr Corney-Walker confirmed he had been informed.

He declined to comment but said: "In such circumstances, I would always operate to the rule that the mayor is strictly neutral in every way, particularly where a criminal allegation has been made.

"I believe very much in British justice and that a person is innocent until proven guilty."

Cllr Vizor joined the town council in 1999 and held the mayoral role in 2003 to 2004.

He had previously worked as a traffic warden in Teignmouth.

A police spokesman said: "Police received a complaint of an alleged sexual assault that then led to a 63-year-old man from the Newton Abbot area being arrested in connection with that.

"He is currently on police bail to return to Torquay police station on Thursday, November 20."

Mr Vizor is also the Portreeve for the Court Leet and Court Barons to the Manorial Borough of Newton Abbot.

 

Two married Conservative councillors have been suspended amid allegations they have been hosting group sex sessions at their Wolverhampton home.

To their neighbours, David and Carol Bourne are pillars of the community. Both represent Wednesfield North and have been heralded as leading lights in the campaign to triumph in the next general election.

Their future is uncertain after being suspended, amid allegations they have been inviting people to their Merry Hill home to take part in sex acts.

Reports have claimed that the pair have been charging people up to £150 to take part in lewd activities behind the curtains of their immaculate end-of-terrace house in Telford Gardens.

The couple are alleged to have advertised their “services” in an adult magazine using the same contact number as their political websites.

One shocked neighbour, who did not want to be named, said the Bournes appeared to be a respectable couple.

He said: “We can’t believe it. We always thought they had a lot of visitors but we just assumed they were friends.”

Last year David, a governor at St Bartholomew’s Primary in Penn, was unveiled as one of a trio of councillors picked by the Tories to head up their Black Country campaign team.

The 66-year-old – first elected in 2003 – is one of the authority’s senior councillors, as cabinet member for children and young people and a member of the standards committee.

Carol, aged 49, was elected last year as commentators hailed the David Cameron-effect for the party winning extra seats in the city.

Councillor Peter Bilson, deputy leader of Wolverhampton City Council until Labour was ousted in the May elections, said: “If this is fact they would lead to resignations. This is not good for the council.”

Leader of the Tory-Lib-Dem alliance at Wolverhampton City Council Neville Patten declined to comment, saying only: “They are suspended pending an investigation.”

The couple were today unavailable for comment.

 

A former Tory politician has been jailed for six and a half years for five sex offences involving three girls, including one charge of rape.

Stephen Mullins, 52, formerly of Links Avenue, Hellesdon, was sentenced at Norwich Crown Court today .

The former head chef in the kitchen of the Bull pub in Reepham Road, Hellesdon had earlier admitted two offences of indecent assault against one girl under 14, rape involving the same girl, sexual assault on another girl aged 14 and assault on another young girl.

Mullins was a member of Norwich North Conservative Association for about two years and a Hellesdon parish councillor for about the same time.

Paul Peccioli, 55, "reacted badly" when Julia Pickup, whom he met online, told him she thought they should stop seeing each other, a court heard.

When Miss Pickup, 51, told him that their six-month relationship was over he banged his head against a wall then held up an airgun, telling Miss Pickup he would "deck her if she was a man", Leicester Crown Court was told.

The court heard that over the next few days Peccioli, a former Conservative member of Daventry District Council, slapped Miss Pickup's legs and threatened to take an overdose.

When she tried to go to work one morning, four days after she had ended their relationship, Peccioli blocked her path.

But he allowed her to call in to explain her absence. Two workmates realised something was wrong and went to her home.

When they arrived at the property in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire, Miss Pickup escaped but Peccioli chased after them in his own car.

Mr Thatcher told the court: "She ran out to the waiting car. When Peccioli realised what was happening he ran out after her, screaming."

Miss Pickup's colleague did not know the village and turned into a cul-de-sac.

Peccioli tried to open the doors of the car, forcing Miss Pickup's colleague to mount the pavement. They managed to drive away, but Peccioli was following at high speeds.

Miss Pickup's colleague drove to the nearest police station where Peccioli was arrested.

He pleaded guilty to putting a person in fear of violence by harassment and blamed his driving on "emotional upset".

The couple met via the internet in March last year, but Miss Pickup ended the relationship in September after Peccioli became "possessive and overbearing".

Peccioli was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence and a restraining order that prevents him from going within 50 metres of Miss Pickup's home or contacting her.

Judge Michael Pert QC said: "I am prepared to accept that at this late stage of your life you have made a fool of yourself rather than being an inherently dangerous person.

"But that is of little consolation to your victim, and I have to take steps to protect her. Your behaviour during this incident was disgraceful."

 

Mr Preest represents the Lydney North Ward of the county council A Gloucestershire county councillor has resigned his position on the county's police authority after accepting a caution for theft. Alan Preest, a Conservative councillor, was arrested on Friday in connection with an incident at a supermarket in Lydney and cautioned. A Gloucestershire Police Authority spokesman said the councillor had resigned with immediate effect. Mr Preest was unavailable for comment on Saturday. He represents the Lydney North Ward of the county council.

A Conservative councillor in Harrow has appeared in court charged with engaging in sexual activity in a public lavatory.

Robert Benson did not enter a plea at Harrow Magistrates' Court last week.

He has been suspended from the party but remains a councillor.

Council leader David Ashton told the Harrow Observer:

"Firstly, this is a matter for the courts. Secondly, as Conservative group leader, I have suspended Councillor Benson from the group.

"If somebody is charged with a criminal offence, they are suspended as part of our standard procedure."

Mr Benson, 41, is accused of giving oral sex to another man in a public toilet in south Harrow on June 25th.

He was arrested and bailed until July 8th, when he was charged.

A 56-year-old from Essex man was issued with a caution.

Mr Benson's case will be heard on 30th July at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

The Tory Party's Parliamentary candidate for Watford, who quit following his arrest by officers probing a three-year hate campaign, has now been told he should stand down as a councillor.

Yesterday, the Watford Observer exclusively revealed Ian Oakley had been arrested and then bailed by police investigating the harassment of several Liberal Democrat councillors in the town.

Mr Oakley was arrested on Friday and a Conservative spokesman last night confirmed he had stood down as the party’s parliamentary candidate for Watford.

Now there have been calls for Mr Oakley to stand down as a councillor in Northwood.

The police investigation, nicknamed Operation Tuition, has been coordinated by Hertfordshire Constabulary's major crime task force.

The allegations relate to the sustained harassment of Liberal Democrats in the town, some of whom have suffered vandalism to their personal property and received malicious phone calls.

Several councillors have had abuse scratched into their cars and their tyres slashed, while others have had vile graffiti daubed close to their home.

Some councillors have even had pornography sent to their houses.

Nascot councillor Mark Watkin has also been the victim of a vicious poison pen letter campaign that made unfounded sexual allegations about him.

Police yesterday confirmed a 31-year-old man had been arrested in relation to the incident.

Mr Oakley has not been charged and is now on police bail pending further enquiries.

Calls for Mr Oakley to resign his Northwood seat have been led by Councillor Mike Cox, leader of Hillingdon Council's Lib Dems.

He said: "If he's taken the decision to resign from Watford then he should certainly resign from Hillingdon where he has far more responsibility for direct relations with the public."

 

The Conservative party was urged yesterday to conduct an inquiry into a hate campaign carried out by one of its former parliamentary candidates against his Liberal Democrat opponents.

Ian Oakley, 31, who was selected in the Labour-held seat of Watford in 2006, was sentenced yesterday to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months.

St Albans magistrates said his "vile and persistent" campaign, including harassment and criminal damage aimed at dozens of Lib Dem supporters and councillors, was an attempt "to pervert the democratic process". Calling for the inquiry, his principal target, Sal Brinton, the Lib Dem candidate for Watford, said the Tories locally and nationally have never apologised nor responded in any way since Oakley pleaded guilty in August.

 

A Tory politician has lost his job and could be kicked out of the party after admitting five sex offences involving three girls, one of them being a charge of rape.

Stephen Mullins, 52, formerly of Links Avenue, Hellesdon, has been a member of Norwich North Conservative Association (NNCA) for about two years and a Hellesdon parish councillor for about the same time.

Mullins, who worked as head chef in the kitchen of the Bull pub in Reepham Road, Hellesdon for 17 years until April this year, appeared at Norwich Crown Court.

He admitted two offences of indecent assault against one girl under 14, between August 22, 1999 and August 21, 2000, and between August 22, 2000 and August 21, 2002. He also admitted rape involving the same girl between August 22, 1999 and August 21, 2002.

He also admitted sexual assault by penetration on April 3, 2008 on another girl aged 14 and assault by penetration on April 14, 2008 on another young girl.

He was remanded in custody to await a pre-sentence report and is due to be sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on September 1.

Jonathan Seeley, prosecuting, said that counts one and two were sample counts, while the rest were specific allegations.

Commenting after the case, Shelagh Gurney, chairman of the NNCA, said: “In view of his admission of guilt and the severity of the offences, I'm taking legal action with a view to releasing him from party membership.”

Patrick Cutter, landlord at the Bull pub, said: “Obviously I don't condone what he has done, and as a business we want to draw a line under it. He won't be working for me anymore.”

Broadland district councillor and Hellesdon parish councillor Tony Adams was at court yesterday, and said the council would be looking to replace Mullins on the parish council either by a by-election or by cooption.

Mr Adams said: “I would like to extend my sympathies to his partner and to the girls he abused.

“My understanding is that he will be automatically debarred from continuing to serve as a parish councillor, because he will have already served more than three months in jail, whatever the sentence.”

Mullins is believed to have been living with a partner, but is not understood to have any children.

A FORMER Councillor has escaped jail for downloading thousands of child porn images.

Peter O'Brian, 46, formally of Drakes Way, Hatfield, was given a three year community order today at Cheshunt Magistrates Court and is attending rehabilitation for his sick addiction.

The ex-councillor pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making indecent images of children and two counts of possessing indecent images of children.

The paedophile was arrested at Stanstead Airport in October, after the images were discovered on a council computer while he was on holiday.

A police investigation revealed more than 6,000 images and movies on the laptop of the former chairman of Welwyn Hatfield Conservative Association and representative for Welham Green.

Detective Inspector Paul Doran, head of the Paedophile Unit, said: "We treat images depicting the abuse of children extremely seriously and will always take action against those responsible.

"Viewing or downloading images of this nature is not a victimless crime - those children have been exploited and are victims. "Despite O'Brien holding an important position in the community, he thought it was acceptable to view these images when it was clearly not.

"By admitting the offences he has gone some way in acknowledging his actions were unacceptable and he has made a positive step by attending a rehabilitation programme to manage his sexual interest."

O'Brien has also been given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans him from buying or using software which would remove evidence of his activity on a computer.

He has also been disqualified from working with children, fined £300 in costs and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' register.

Paul added: "I would like to express my thanks to Welwyn and Hatfield Council who have supported us through our investigation and I am grateful for their co-operation."

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

07:00 - 16 June 2008

A councillor convicted of drink-driving has apologised to his Clevedon constituents for letting them down.

Stanley Vyce, pictured, a Conservative member of North Somerset Council, was stopped by police at 5.15am on May 24 after returning from a party in Bristol.

At a hearing at North Somerset Magistrates' Court, it was revealed that 28-year-old Mr Vyce, of Newlands Green, Clevedon, had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath - the limit is 35mg.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was banned from driving for a year. He was also ordered to pay a £250 fine, a £15 victim surcharge and £60 costs.

Mr Vyce, who has been suspended from North Somerset's Conservative group in line with national party rules, said he was sorry for what he had done and felt embarrassed and humiliated by his court appearance.

He apologised to residents who voted for him in last May's elections.

Mr Vyce had been out with work friends in Bristol on the night he was stopped by police in Northern Way, Clevedon. They had visited a restaurant and a bar before going back to a friend's house.

The councillor, who joined the Conservative party at the age of 16 while a student at Backwell School, said: "I did not believe I was over the limit when I drove home.

"I did have a drink of Blackthorn cider but was also drinking soft drinks and the test showed I was about two-thirds of a pint over the legal limit.

"I feel very stupid about what has happened. I am really sorry and want to apologise to the local people who voted for me.

"This was a strong Labour seat and the people of the town put their trust and belief in me and the Conservative party, and I feel I have let them down."

Mr Vyce, a pensions administrator, said it was difficult to attend meetings without a car so he was reconsidering his position as a councillor for the town's central ward.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said the Conservative group would discuss Mr Vyce's drink-drive conviction at its meeting on Tuesday.

 

He threw in the towel after facing an ultimatum from Mr Cameron to justify channelling more than £400,000 in staff allowances to a family business of which he is a paid director.

Mr Chichester stayed on as a Tory MEP, but stepped down from the top job to limit embarrassment to Mr Cameron - who had asked him only three months ago to clean up Tory MEP allowances in the wake of a scandal at Westminster over MP Derek Conway.

In a statement, the Conservative Party said Mr Chichester stepped down after chairman Caroline Spelman asked him to provide a full explanation of the arrangements put in place to fund his staff.

Mr Chichester chose to step down with immediate effect to prepare his report to the European Parliament authorities, said the party.

Mr Cameron said: "Giles Chichester is right to stand down as leader of our MEPs to prepare a full explanation of how his office is funded.

"Just as I expect our MPs to adhere to the highest standards, so must our MEPs.

"The tax-paying public have a right to know how their money is being spent and politicians have a duty to ensure it is spent properly."

Deputy leader Philip Bushill-Matthews will take over as acting leader.

A TORY councillor will become the fourth elected representative in Waltham Forest to appear before a court since September.

Former Conservative group deputy leader Graham Sinclair, who represents the Chingford Green ward, is accused of benefit fraud, along with his wife Deborah de la Nougerede.

The couple have allegedly claimed about £8,000 in income support, housing benefit and council tax benefit despite Cllr Sinclair receiving a member's allowance.

Cllr Sinclair's case will not be heard at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court because he is a magistrate.

He will appear instead at Thames Magistrates Court in Bow, next Friday (23).

Cllr Sinclair is the fourth Waltham Forest councillor to be prosecuted in the last eight months.

His prosecution will mean that members from all three political groupings on the council have recently appeared before courts.

In September Miranda Grell was found guilty of falsely claiming an election rival was a paedophile while on the campaign trail in the 2006 local elections.

Clllr Graham Sinclair

Ms Grell was fined £1,000 and forced to give up her council seat.

A former rising star in the Labour party as former aide to the Deputy Mayor of London's, Ms Grell's political career is now in tatters.

In March Liberal Democrat councillor Imran Abrahim was found guilty of assaulting his teenage wife.

Ambrahim, who had already been kicked out of the Lib Dem group, has since resigned from the council.

In April the Mayor of Waltham Forest Liaquat Ali and his wife were fined for taking their child out of school during term time. The fine was increased to £200 each by the court because the couple had allegedly not paid the original £50.

But the increased fines were later withdrawn after the council's legal team succeeded in persuading magistrates that he had paid the fine after all and a cheque from him had been found in a town hall safe.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

A former Tory councillor was this week bound over to keep the peace for his involvement in a racially motivated attack on a cabbie.

Businessman Shaun Smith, 38, had arrived at Manchester Airport with partner Amanda Ahlgreen, 39, when she became involved in a fracas at the taxi rank. Smith arrived on the scene and after a brief row, the police were called and the pair were arrested.

Smith, of Trigg Lane, Chorley, was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Mr Recorder Driver told Smith: "You became involved in a shameful incident of disorder on that night.

"You now know, even if you didn't know it then, your partner had committed a criminal offence against members of the public shortly before you became involved."

Not guilty verdicts were recorded on three charges of racially aggravated harassment, assault by beating and racially aggravated assault by beating, against Smith.

Ahlgreen admitted one count of racially aggravated breach of the peace.

Earlier the court heard the incident occurred in June last year when the couple returned to Manchester Airport where Ahlgreen entered into an argument with the man in charge of the taxi rank during which she made a comment of a racist nature.

Defending Smith, Keith Harrison said: "He was not present when Ahlgreen made the most offensive comments. He does accept he became involved in the incident to a certain extent but he was not present when Ahlgreen made the most offensive comments."

Defending Ahlgreen, Patrick Buckley, said: "In a moment of madness she let slip remarks that were deeply offensive - she deeply regrets them. There has been no repetition since or no incident before this."

Granting her unconditional bail, Mr Recorder Driver said: "You pleaded guilty to a serious offence and the judge who sentences you will have the full range of sentencing options available to him."

Ahlgreen will be sentenced on July 2.

Councillor Smith was elected as a Tory councillor in 2004 with a majority of 256.

Peter Goldsworthy, leader of Conservative-led Chorley Council, said: "At the moment Shaun Smith is not a member of the Conservative party.

"It will be up to a group meeting to be held in the next two weeks to decide whether he is admitted back in."

Donna Hall, council chief executive, said: "In terms of his role as a councillor, he would only have been automatically disqualified if he'd received a custodial sentence of three months or more."

An early report on the Chorley Citizen website, suggested that the charges against Mr Smith be ordered to lie on file and that the charge against Ahlgreen related to racially aggravated harassment.

This was in fact incorrect.

A leading Tory councillor has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

Divorced father-of-three Ken Bartram, 63, a church organist, had his flat raided by Scotland Yard.

It is believed a stash of more than 50 DVDs and a mobile phone containing various images were seized.

Failed actor Bartram, a councillor in the London borough of Hillingdon, is no longer at home in Uxbridge, Middlesex.

Hillingdon Council chiefs were unaware of his arrest when contacted by The People Deputy leader Cllr David Simmonds said: "As far as we are aware Cllr Bartram has not been involved with anything unlawful."

But Scotland Yard said: "We arrested Ken Bartram at his flat. He was taken for questioning and released on bail. We also seized a number of his belongings."

Bartram was unavailable.

An ex-Tory councillor asked two businessmen in London for £20,000 in bribes to help them with a property development, jurors heard.

Suresh Kumar, 44, even suggested half the money should be paid into his local party, Southwark Crown Court heard.

But his demands were secretly taped by an undercover reporter, it is alleged.

The former Redbridge councillor, from Newbury Park, east London, denies three counts of corruption between 11 November and 12 December 2004.

Two accuse him of "corruptly soliciting" £10,000 payments as a "reward for assisting in the passing and processing of a planning application", while the third mentions a fee but no amount.

Sean Larkin, prosecuting, told the court the development for 17 flats on the site of a derelict east London petrol station had been drawn up by Jasbir Bhogul and Rajwinder Rana, partners in Silverlake Properties Ltd.

Election campaign

Before the application was due to be considered, the defendant phoned Mr Bhogul, who had helped him with his election campaign the previous year, jurors heard.

The application was passed without any money changing hands.

Jurors heard that two weeks later the councillor contacted Mr Bhogul once more and again offered his help - for a price.

But this time the pair contacted a national newspaper, which told them to set up another meeting.

When questioned by police, the councillor insisted it was "a put up job by Mr Bhogul, supported by Mr Rana, to bring me down".

He was suspended from the local Conservative group in December 2004 after the allegations were published in a Sunday newspaper.

He ran as an independent but failed to win enough votes in 2006.

The trial continues.

 

UPDATE 27/11/09

A former Conservative councillor convinced an expert witness to alter evidence against him while on trial for corruptly demanding £10,000 in bribes, a court heard today.

Suresh Kumar, 44, of Eastern Avenue, Newbury Park, enlisted the help of Punjabi-speaking interpreter Baldev Sidhu, 61, to change transcripts of secretly taped conversations during the trial last year, jurors heard.

Kumar, who was elected to Redbridge Council in 2003, had allegedly demanded £10,000 from property developers who needed planning permission.

Southwark Crown Court heard Kumar asked one of the men to join the local Conservative association having just demanded the first payoff in November 2004.

Kumar later told members of the local Conservative association there was a "possibility of a £10,000 donation" to top up the party coffers, it was said.

Jurors heard during Kumar's bribery trial he enlisted the help of Sidhu, an expert defence witness, to alter the evidence against him.

Kumar is now facing a string of corruption charges relating to his alleged cash demands.

He and Sidhu are also accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice and doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice.

Sidhu is also accused of perjury for lying under oath when he said he was on the National Register of Interpreters.

Prosecutor Thomas Kark told the court: "This case is about dishonesty, about bribery, about perverting the proper course of justice and lying in court.

"The first part concerns allegations of corruption against Suresh Kumar and they arise when he was a Conservative councillor in Redbridge in 2004.

"The second part of the case arises subsequently when in 2008 Mr Kumar was tried at the this very court and he called Mr Sidhu as an expert interpreter of some secretly taped conversations which had taken place in the language of Punjabi.

"It became apparent during Mr Sidhu's evidence that he was telling lies about a number of facts including the circumstances in which his expert reports had come to be written."

Mr Kark said the costly jury trial then had to be abandoned.

Jurors heard Jasbir Bhogal and Rajwinder Rana were seeking planning permission to turn a derelict petrol station in Green Lane, Goodmayes, into flats when they approached Kumar back in 2004.

Kumar was sitting on the regulatory committee and tried to persuade Mr Bhogal, who had helped him during his election to pay up, it is said.

Mr Kark said Mr Kumar ignored the "councillors' code of conduct" by asking for the money.

Kumar denies three counts of corruption alleging he "did corruptly solicit for himself a fee or reward for assisting in the processing of a planning application" between November 11 and December 12, 2004.

He and Sidhu, of Portland Road, Birmingham, both deny conspiring "together, to do a series of acts, namely altering the transcripts of taped conversations with intent to pervert the course of justice" on or before April 14, last year and deny doing acts intending to pervert the course of justice.

Sidhu alone further denies once charge of perjury by saying he was on the National Register of Interpreters and for lying about a report he had written for the case and about a witness statement he had made for the case.

 

A CITY councillor has been arrested on suspicion of breaching an harassment order.

Cllr Max Drury, 60, of Clifford Drive, Chester, who represents Curzon & Westminster, was arrested on Sunday.

The incident is understood to relate to a dispute with a former employee of his company, Chester Mobility Ltd, based on the Sealand Industrial Estate which sells aids for the disabled.

A police spokeswoman said: “I can confirm that on March 2 we arrested a 60-year-old Chester man for breaching an harassment order.”

 

UPDATE 25 May 2008

A POLITICIAN, who ousted a Labour councillor from her seat after 23-years, has denied that bogus postal votes were written in his handwriting.

Conservative’s Eshaq Khan, who ousted the Labour councillor of 23 years, Lydia Simmons, for the Central ward in the local elections in May last year was in the witness stand today (Tuesday) at an election petition into alleged fraud.

The hearing, at Slough Town Hall, heard how
a number of bogus postal voters voted for him in Richmond Crescent, Indian Road and Diamond Road and that some of the application forms to register the postal votes were filled out by someone who had very similar handwriting to Cllr Khan.

Addressing Cllr Khan, Richard Mawrey QC, the commissioner presiding over the hearing, said: “It is suggested that these are bogus votes with your handwriting on. Before you is a very serious allegation.”

However, Cllr Khan replied by saying he did not know how this came about.

The hearing began on Monday last week and was called by Mrs Simmons. It is scheduled to last two weeks.

If anything untowards is found then a by-election could be called. Labour would need to win that and form a coalition with another councillor independent of the party to retake control it lost in 2004.

Source

Update

Councillor guilty of voting fraud

A Tory councillor has been found guilty of using bogus postal votes to ensure he was voted into office.

Eshaq Khan beat Lydia Simmons, an ex-mayor of Slough, Berkshire, by 119 votes to win the council's Central Ward in last year's local elections.

But a special election High Court, in Slough, convicted Khan and his agents of corrupt and illegal practices.

They are related to applications for registering to vote and postal voting. He was banned from standing again.