News

An acrimonious parish council meeting has led to councillors quitting their seats.

Two councillors, including the vice-chairman, have resigned from the finance committee, and at the weekend Cllr. Keven Avery formally resigned from Hawkinge Parish Council.

Events unfolded at the meeting on 10 October,  when Cllr. Avery proposed that Cllr. Peter Smith step down from the finance committee, "given his present circumstances." In July 2007, Cllr. Smith had been found guilty of two charges of making false claims for housing and council tax benefit between June and September 2006, which he knew to be false.

The debate became more heated and councillors agreed to continue the discussion later, during the closed 'confidential' part of the meeting and away from the gaze of the public and press.

The Hawkinge Gazette was told that Cllr. Smith had refused to give up his seat on the finance and general purposes committee, and during the private session, both Cllr Avery and vice-chairman Cllr. Jean James resigned their seats, leaving Cllr. Smith sitting with only Cllr. Hutt and Cllr. Callahan on the shrinking finance committee.

Chairman of Hawkinge Parish Council, David Callahan said: "I am bitterly disappointed that we have lost Keven from the council. He was one of our most able councillors who had brought in a wealth of fresh ideas.

"I think the parish council has got to stop and think hard what it is doing to itself when Keven saw fit to resign.

"I would like to thank Keven for his hard work. He will be missed by the council and the village as a whole."