Complaints after councillor fined

GAINSBOROUGH’S deputy mayor has defended his right to remain in his town council seat after receiving a £400 court fine.

Coun David Manning, 55, of Tooley Street, Gainsborough, was ordered to pay a £400 fine, £15 victim surcharge and £43 court costs by Lincoln Magistrates’ Court. He also took six points on his licence.

The offence was ‘failing to identify the driver of a vehicle’.

The court dealt with the matter in Coun Manning’s absence because, he says, he was not told to attend court.

The fine has attracted criticism from some in the town, and calls for Coun Manning to explain himself.

Fellow town councillor Robin Perry even complained to the district authority, claiming Coun Manning’s behaviour had brought his position and the council into disrepute.

In a letter seen by the Standard, Coun Perry said: “I believe he has broken the Councillor’s Code of Conduct.”

Coun Perry went on to suggest he had also broken four of the ten general principles which councillors should abide by - honesty and integrity, openness, a duty to uphold the law, and leadership.

Coun Manning, however, was quite happy to discuss the court fine with the Standard.

“The fine was in relation to a vehicle I used to own, which was caught speeding after I had sold it,” he said.

“I was summoned to court for the speeding offence, but I replied saying I did not know who the driver was, as I had sold the car.”