Camden News: Dorothy Robinson

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Camden News - by PAUL KEILTHY
Published: 14 August 2008

Dorothy Robinson

‘Looting’ scandal: no sackings, no charges

Council secrecy over action taken against workers

THE Town Hall has been accused of a whitewash after a scandal in which the homes of the dead or dying were “systematically looted” by up to 60 council workers has resulted in no more than minor disciplinary action.
More than 18 months of internal investigation followed a New Journal exposé of how antiques from the Gospel Oak flat of pensioner Dorothy Robinson ended up in a furniture shop after it was cleared “for disposal” while she lay dying in a nursing home in January last year.
The inquiry revealed that out of 1,200 homes cleared every year, no valuables had ever been handed in – and that dozens of staff including managers had known of the practice, which clearly breached council rules.
But despite strong condemnation of the clearances from councillors and senior staff at the Town Hall and hints that prosecutions for theft could follow, the New Journal learnt this week that no one has been sacked or charged. Although the investigation is completed, the Town Hall has refused to say what disciplinary action had been taken, or against whom.
Ian Marshall-Fisher had known Mrs Robinson for 50 years. He said: “Isn’t the government and the local authority there to protect us and to uphold the law? This is absurd. Their own investigation concluded that 60 people had taken things that didn’t belong to them from other people’s houses.
“But the minute something goes wrong in a local authority the investigation becomes ‘internal’. And nobody questions this. If you had a suspected criminal, would you ask him to conduct an internal investigation and respect his decision not to tell you the outcome?”
The scandal would never have come to light had it not been for Hillary Katz, a neighbour of Mrs Robinson who stored some of his own furniture in her flat and saw it being cleared by council workers.
He challenged Town Hall lawyers in court after they claimed the council had a right to do what it wanted with property in a council flat. The judge ordered the council to compensate him in full.
Mr Katz said: “The council has never apologised. How can they stay silent on this issue? Surely one has a right as a citizen to find out how they discipline someone who has been involved in something like this?”
The New Journal understands that just one staff member has been moved to another job and officially warned over the scandal, but the Town Hall has refused repeated requests to confirm this.
A press official said: “Disciplinary action has been taken in relation to a number of individuals following the investigation into the process of disposing of abandoned property in empty council homes. The council’s established policy is that it does not publicise the outcome of disciplinary proceedings.”
The council also says that the abuses have stopped and a new system of checks ensures that tenants’ property is protected. Since January, property from 57 homes has been taken into storage under the new regime, while a pilot project is being run in which not-for-profit company Re-store recycles abandoned goods.

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