Ferret readers will be aware of the mention of a contract between Hemsworth Town Council and the company owned by Gordon Eccles, regarding the use of the Kinsley Farmers car park by the council, when the stand-in Chair for Jean Eccles, Councillor Middleton read a pre-prepared statement given to him by Jean Eccles to the meeting.
Ferret believes this is so important that it needs further and in depth investigation.
Ferret and those present were actually shocked by the reaction of the Town Clerk Alan Draper to the announcement made of there being a contract.
To put it bluntly he was visibly shaken and looked aghast.
To compound matters it transpired that he had informed a resident only that morning that there was no such documentation and as Town Clerk it would require it to bear his signature to be valid.
Yet he made it plain that was the first he had heard of it.
So a contract between Hemsworth Town Council and a Hemsworth Town Councillor’s company has appeared and apparently its existence is unknown by the Hemsworth Town Council Clerk and Responsible financial officer Alan Draper.
Very strange to say the least, very, very strange indeed.
For 3 long years it has never had a mention, for 3 long years the Town Clerk has had no knowledge of its existence until the 1st of December 2022.
What is so special that we have had a Christmas miracle occurring right here in the township of Hemsworth Kinsley and Fitzwilliam on that very day?
It was obviously presented as a fait accompli to try to suppress all opposition at the Hemsworth Town Council meeting.
Ferret believes obviously, that it is just another of those “pesky coincidences” that seem to dog Hemsworth Town Council and the Eccles.
Well there is one thing for sure, a forensic specialist could examine the town council records and establish what real date that the document was first recorded by the council as being in existence irrespective of any of the dates manually inputted.
There would be interchanges between both parties and their legal representatives, all logged in and traceable.
If it all matches then fair enough but that then leaves another problem and it’s potentially bigger.
How could Alan Draper be unaware that it existed?
Such incompetence would not be acceptable for the role he is employed to oversee.
If the claims made do not match the electronic records then what else has potentially been falsified?
Jean Eccles’s made threats that legal action would be taken against councillors for speaking out against them and they would not be covered by the council’s insurers, unfortunately for you Jean, the decision whether the town councillors are covered by the council’s insurance for their actions is not yours to make, it is the council as a whole who make that decision.
The Chair of Hemsworth or any Town Council has no more authority than any other councillor.
Ferret is so sorry if that is a knock to your ego or a dent in your crown.
Hemsworth Independent Town Council: The Christmas Miracle, Saints or Sinners?
Well worthy of Further Investigation…