Lib dems 'hid' fraud shame
LOCAL Liberal Democrat bosses have admitted they knew the resignation of Councillor Gillian Jenkins stemmed from a fraud investigation into her husband. Gillian Jenkins sparked a recent by-election after telling Shepway leader Linda Cufley that spouse Raymond, 58, was being probed over falsely claiming housing benefits and council tax worth £2,000. The Lib Dems have been criticised by opposition parties who claim the membership should have come clean about the reasons for her resignation. Cllr Cufley maintains it was a 'private matter' and not of public interest. The scant details only emerged following his conviction on Monday April 26 - four days after the Folkestone east by-election, which the Conservatives won unexpectedly. Cllr Cufley said: "Gillian came to speak to me in confidence at the first opportunity and said she had family problems. She told me her husband was under investigation. "I understood it was the first time the business had come to her attention, but you would have to ask her about that." Mrs Jenkins handed in her resignation on February 18. On April 26, her husband pleaded guilty at Folkestone magistrates to five counts of falsely claiming housing and council tax benefit. One of the charges included his producing or furnishing a document on his wife's income that was known to be false.Mr Jenkins was fined £250 and told to repay the £1,571 in housing benefit and £654 in council tax benefit. Cllr Cufley refused to go into details of her discussion with Mrs Jenkins, but said: "Gillian did the honourable thing and stepped down. What else could she have done? "We did not make the matter public because she was resigning from the party. It was about her husband, who had not been charged with anything, and it was a personal, family matter that she discussed with me in confidence." It is understood that Mr and Mrs Jenkins' Liberal Democrat membership has since lapsed. Parliamentary hopeful Peter Carroll claimed he did not know why she stepped aside other than it for 'personal reasons.' When asked why Mrs Jenkins did not reveal the true circumstances, Mr Carroll said: "It's embarrassing, isn't it? If a member of your family admitted something, I think that anyone, regardless of politics one would find that embarrassing." Asked if Mrs Jenkins could have known her husband was making false claims, he replied: "Only the Jenkins can answer that question - but she wasn't charged." Labour councillor Tudwal Ellis said: "It is a shame that the Lib Dems did not do something about this sooner. It would have done them more credit if they had stood up and admitted what had happened. "I feel sorry for Mrs Jenkins - I imagine that she doesn't feel good about being exposed like this when it could have come out sooner. The Lib Dems have played the situation." Conservative leader Robert Bliss said: "I believe this was a matter of public interest, and they should have declared it - that's what we all have to do." Mrs Jenkins refused to comment at their smart semi-detached home in Alexandra Road.
Sports trust hopes to replace funding
THE Folkestone Sports Centre Trust has come out fighting in the face of the Shepway council's decision to cut its grant. The trust's grant has been reduced by £20,000 this year, with the possibility of a further reduction to follow. Following controversy over plans to sell the sports centre golf course, Shepway council has also abandoned plans to use its £10million PFI government grant in a joint project with the trust, and is planning to use the money to open another sports facility in Folkestone. The trust has now launched an appeal to raise money to continue work on projects to improve the sports centre. A total of £12,000 is needed to complete the ski-centre expansion, including a new nursery ski slope, and a further £60,000 to double the size of the Fitness Works gym. Commercial manager Tessa Stickler said: "We are currently looking at ways to get the £1million investment needed for a complete overhaul of the centre, but at present, are hoping for the ski and fitness centre projects to be undertaken with local support. "The centre has strong connections with the community and remembering that the project was born out of local donations, we are confident that the town will support our future plans. "Our staff have worked hard in recent years to reach this point, from which we can start moving forward. It is an exciting, if challenging, time." Anyone interested in contributing to these projects or getting involved with fundraising, should contact Tessa or buildings manager Peter Gardner on 01303 850222.
MoD breached nuclear no-fly zone
THE Ministry of Defence has admitted potentially endangering the lives of Shepway residents by breaching the no-fly zone over Dungeness's nuclear power stations. Following a near-miss accident at a Scottish nuclear plant, the MoD revealed planes had broken the rules at three other nuclear plants five times in the past three years.
Shepway Friends of the Earth said the breach represented a 'significant threat'. Spokesman Barrie Botley said: "Unlike the latest nuclear power stations, the reactors at Dungeness A have no secondary case inside the building and parts of their primary cooling circuits are exposed. "They were not designed with aircraft crashes in mind, and if cooling was damaged, the fuel could start burning." A MoD spokesman said: "I can confirm that there has been one incident during the past three years in which we breached the no-fly zone over the Dungeness power plants. "It is important to remember that after November 2001, the aircraft exclusion zones were made two miles high instead of one, so this kind of accidental small breach would still be within safe limits."
Drug den dealers sentenced to prison
FOLKESTONE man Damien Daley has been jailed for four years for being involved in drug dealing. Daley, pictured, was one of three men who were sentenced on Friday April 30 as a result of a police raid on a heroin den at Ryland Court, Folkestone, last November. Also jailed for four years was Kelly Bishop, 34, while 26-year-old Stuart Girt, currently serving four-and-a-half-years for aggravated burglary, was jailed for three years and must also serve a year left over from a previous sentence. All three had been convicted after a trial at Maidstone Crown Court and all three men were said to have criminal records. Bishop's record includes offences of dishonesty dating back to 1986, when he was a juvenile. Daley's previous convictions included robbery in 1995, inflicting grievous bodily harm in 1996 and offences of dishonesty, but no drug-related offences. Girt had convictions dating back to the age of 16, including various matters of dishonesty. He was due to be released in August this year from his current sentence.
Refugee's driving ban
KURDISH refugee Phestewan Ali, 25, thought his Iraqi driving licence was good enough to drive on local roads despite several warnings to the contrary. Magistrates were told Ali, of Dover Road, Folkestone, continued to drive using the foreign documents illegally, but bizarrely, was insured to drive because he had never been caught using them. Under road regulations Ali, as a driver from outside the EU, could only use the Middle East licence for a year ? he had been using it for four. Ali was due to take his driving test last Wednesday ? the day he appeared in court. He was finally pulled up when his Honda Civic was in a crash with a motorbike in Canterbury Road, Folkestone on October 4. Michael Collins, prosecuting at Folkestone magistrates court, said the driver's door was badly damaged in the crash and the bike rider was taken to hospital On January 23, the officer who arrested Ali in October saw him driving in Alexandra Gardens and he still had not changed his licence. Two days later he was arrested again in Canterbury Road. Ali admitted three charges of driving without a licence but two charges of having no insurance were dropped because he produced valid documents. Julian Rixon, defending, said: "As far as I'm aware he obtained lawful insurance. He told me was going to continue driving until a court told him otherwise." Mr Rixon added: "He was arrested and police put him in custody even though they had no right to because he carried valid insurance and the offence doesn't warrant imprisonment."
As a result of being stopped he was forced to give up his job as a fruit packer in Aylesham but would get it back when he passed his test. Ali was fined £33, banned for 56 days and had his licence endorsed for the first charge, on the second he was fined £40 and £50 for the third. He was also ordered to pay £150 costs.
Cricketers win backing
INSURANCE claim underwriters have accepted a claim to rebuild Hythe Cricket and Squash Club's canal-side buildings devastated by a fire which caused more than £200,000 estimated damage. Members of the historic club - where irreplaceable mementos were destroyed in the blaze early last month - continue to bat on thanks to help and support. Contractors repaired two changing rooms to provide half-sized facilities and got original showers up and running again in time for cricket at the weekend. Squash players using Southlands Leisure Centre, New Romney, hope to be back on home territory by the end of the summer. Confirming the club's claim for a re-build project had been accepted in principal, club chairman Andy Mills said: "Final figures on how much they are willing to pay out are still to be discussed. We continue to be overwhelmed by offers of support and members continue to meet and socialise through the problems." Thanks to the nearby bowls club a Murder Mystery and social evening took place. A boot fair should go ahead on May 9 - but Mr Mills warned sellers and
buyers there are no on-site toilet facilities. A provisional date for a Twenty-20 fund raising game for the club with the Lashings World International X1 is August 24. * Last week's Hythe Town Council recommended approval of plans for temporary changing facilities at the club. Members were full of admiration at members efforts to keep going through the crisis. Cllr Neil Matthews said: "They have done very well trying to get up and running
