They Can't all have won the Lottery

Swindler Douglas Brown siphoned off £2m

Hartlepool is once again is in the news, unfortunately not for the right reasons,

The town remains most famous for its quaint but probably inaccurate legend that during the Napoleonic war its inhabitants, the local fishermen and women of the Headland  now often referred  to as “Crofters”
summarily hung , after a long trial ?  a monkey washed up on the Fish Sands,  from a shipwreck, in the belief that it was a French spy , as it could not speak nor understand the local “Crofters” gibberish.
Hartlepudlians, or Codheads, like  myself ,  are still known  around the world, as “monkey-hangers”).  ?

I have no doubt that we here  in Hartlepool have attracted in the past and will continue to do so,  far more than our fair  share of the villains and  scum bags of society born and bred in the North-East,

I recently read an article in the Sunday Sun that  revealed  the secret life of
Cunning Douglas Brown which claimed that he was  one of the biggest fraudsters the North has ever seen.  Who very nearly brought an international company to its knees when he siphoned off more than £2.4m over 11 years  to fund his lavish lifestyle.

The Sunday Sun  said Brown appeared to be a normal family man – entrusted to run Palmer UK, the British-operation of American firm Palmer International, Inc. based in “Hartlepool”

The business boss claimed he was making pre-payments to suppliers of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid, used by Palmer UK, in the manufacture of brake-linings. Instead he was pocketing the money. He plundered funds for more than a decade through an elaborate scheme

Brown tricked auditors by laying a false paper trail, while keeping real records of how he had switched the cash in locked cabinets in his office
The 63-year-old, former co-chief executive of the company, was jailed for seven years in 2009 after admitting 31 counts of obtaining money transfers by deception between November 1995 and February 2007.

That statement  that he was one of the biggest fraudsters could be challenged, simply because I believe, that we in  the North-East , have had, and  appear to maintain a  history of producing some  of the most Outstanding Criminal minds in the world  of theft and dishonesty, particularly in  politics ,

Who  could  ever forget T. Dan Smith,  the mouth of the Tyne,
ably assisted by Andy Cunningham, J. B. Poulson,  and many others,

 Mr Monkey’s  recent  allegations  of Council corruption on South Tyneside are unbelievable , history again repeating itself. ?
Much more hanky panky is still to be exposed  there , and here in Hartlepool,   I think .

We are not allowed to  forget , John and Anne Darwin, the couple from  Seaton  Carew,   who staged a  sham fatal canoeing accident in a £250,000 insurance scam, it could even be more.

Mr Darwin, 57, was sentenced to six years and three months after admitting seven charges of obtaining money by deception and a passport offence. His wife, who claimed that she was forced to take part in the scheme, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years after being convicted of 15 counts of fraud.

Another “Hartlepool” born  Labour politician, M.P. Frank Cook, who
represented Stockton North which includes Billingham  and Wolviston, until last year, failed in his bid to sue The Sunday Telegraph,  which had reported he claimed back £5 expenses for a church donation ?
 Which was put into a collection by an aide who represented him at a “Battle of Britain” memorial service. Unbelievable conduct, especially from an M.P.  or is it ?

Mr. Frank Cook also lost his seat in last years General Election after he was de-selected by the Labour Party and standing as an Independent candidate.

It is worthwhile remembering that the information which finally exposed these greedy and dishonest M.P. freeloaders had originally been sought under a Freedom of Information Act request.

Not all locally elected councillors and public officials in "Hartlepool"  are “Scoundrels” looking after their own interests, but there are some  in Hartlepool who seem to have prospered financially after gaining office,

They can’t all have won the lottery , or can they ?

In view  of the following message from the Prime Ministers office, No.10, to-day   when a spokesman said :-

"What matters is that all wrongdoing is exposed and those responsible for these appalling acts are brought to justice,  this was regarding the News of the World, but I think it also applies to dishonest  Councils , and Hartlepool is no exception.

I personally find it very difficult to decide who is the worst, the Elected Councillors who remain Suspiciously Silent,  ?  although they must be aware of these Underhanded Practices done in their name?
                                                                       or                          
The Guilty paid Council Officers who are allowed to make these Decisions, Unopposed, knowing, that to Complain  to Hartlepool Borough Council ,is a Complete Waste of time.

Because  any citizen with a grievance  will be completely ignored, you don’t  matter,  the so called political  elite will decide what's good for you'.  Whether you like it or not, and there is very little you can do about it at the moment,  and they know that,

 Look what is happening to us regarding the  imminent  closing of Hartlepool Hospital, and many other issues,  just proves what I have previously said, at the moment they think they are above the law and some think they can walk on water, but I still think that they will get their feet wet very  shortly !
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