Council scammed out of thousands for shipping container that never arrived
The letter is intended to help Audit Wales' understanding of the governance arrangements for the council to support their work in providing an audit opinion on the yearly financial statement.
However a part of the report given to councillors noted a case of "actual, suspected, or alleged fraud" where a shipping container had been ordered with 50% of the cost being paid up-front but which never arrived.
READ MORE: M4 shut overnight after in police incident
READ MORE: Porthcawl's beloved Coney Beach amusement park to close within months
Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
The letter which was submitted to Audit Wales said: "The council ordered a shipping container which did not arrive and paid 50% up-front (£3,658).
"This has been identified as a fraud and a request for the final 50% payment was rejected.
"Financial regulations require that payments in advance should not be made without s151 officer approval."
Addressing the chamber councillor Martin Hughes of Maesteg East asked how the purchase was made and if it would be possible for the council to recoup any of the losses.
Officers responded by saying there had been attempts to make contact with the company to recover the money though they were "not sure" if it was possible.
They also added that while this seemed to be a one-off incident they would look into it further to see if there had been a breach in procedure to make sure it didn't happen again.
Councillor Steven Easterbrook of Bridgend Central described the situation as embarrassing for the authority and said they needed to be "a lot more careful" in the way they were doing things.
While it was unclear exactly why the shipping container had been purchased some members pointed out that a number of other containers had recently been set up in Porthcawl for start-up businesses to use.
Following the report the committee approved the letter of response to Audit Wales though asked that further investigations take place on the incident with the missing shipping container. For the latest Bridgend news sign up to our newsletter here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'World renowned' nightclub with cult following up for sale for £1.7m
A "world renowned" Southampton nightclub with a cult following has hit the market, as it has been listed for £1.7 million. The freehold for Jesters Nightclub on Bevois Valley Road is up for sale, which includes the famous nightclub itself, the Clowns "wine bar" it is connected to and an 11-bedroom house of multiple occupancy. Current owner Alan Green first opened Clowns in 1987 before buying Jesters two years later, and has run the nightclub beloved by students ever since. The listing for the property suggests that the new owners could make "around £100,000" per year by renting out the 11-bedroom HMO. The Clowns wine bar - as pictured - is also included in the sale. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) But the building has been put up for sale just one month after a fundraiser was launched to save the nightclub with a cult-following. Owner Alan Green told the Echo that the campaign was launched to help battle a repossession notice which was served for the building. READ MORE: Alan said the matter was set to go to court, which could result in the property being taken back by the bank, resulting in Alan losing the club which he opened in 1989. Downstairs at Jesters. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) A target of £200,000 has been set by those running the fundraiser, which will cover essential operating costs over the summer period while students are away. The money will be used to maintain and improve the venue, while also trying to recoup costs against "some of the biggest financial challenges" in the venue's history. Alan told the Echo that a loan was taken out and has now had its interest increased to an "unpayable" 35 per cent. The nightclub is currently closed while students are away for the summer. (Image: Zoopla / Hunters) Jesters is closed right now, as it always does for 12 weeks while students are away from university over the break. READ MORE: "It's usually a bit of a bleak summer, this is why we're tyring to raise the money," Alan previously said. "It's not quite over just yet. The repossession notice gives us the chance to plead our case in court. We're going down fighting." The news of a potential closure has broken the hearts of former students across the city. Cam Burns, who started the fundraiser on behalf of Alan, said Jesters is "not just a club". "It is a part of Southampton's DNA," he said. "It is the first social, the last night out, the best memories."
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police arrest scores more Palestine Action supporters
Police in several British cities on Saturday arrested scores of people for supporting Palestine Action, following a second consecutive weekend of protests over the government's decision to ban the activist group using anti-terror laws. Campaign group Defend Our Juries, which had announced the rallies "to defy" the ban, said 86 people had been arrested across five different cities. They included four vicars, a lawyer, a civil servant, a social worker, a mechanical engineer and the daughter of a Polish resistance fighter, as well as veterans of the 1960s civil rights movement, the group added. "We will not be deterred from opposing genocide, nor from defending those who refuse to be bystanders," the group said in a statement, referring to accusations levelled against Israel over its war in Gaza. The protesters were also taking a stand "against the corruption of democracy and the rule of law", it added. In London, the Metropolitan Police said its officers had made 41 arrests for "showing support for a proscribed organisation". Another person was arrested for common assault, the force added. Footage showed police moving in on a small group of protesters displaying signs supporting Palestine Action. They had gathered at lunchtime at the steps of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Parliament Square. Greater Manchester Police arrested 16 people, while officers in the Welsh capital Cardiff detained 13, all for the same offence under the 2000 Terrorism Act, both forces confirmed. "South Wales Police supports the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully," said a police statement. - Support now a crime - The other arrests occurred in the Northern Irish city Londonderry -- also known as Derry -- and Leeds, in northern England, according to Defend Our Juries. They come a week after 29 similar arrests at protests staged last Saturday, mainly in London. Since the Palestine Action ban kicked in on July 5, police have warned that expressing support for the group was now a crime, after a last-ditch High Court challenge failed to stop its proscription becoming law. The government announced plans for the ban under the 2000 Terrorism Act days after the group's activists claimed to be behind a break-in at an air force base in southern England. Two aircraft there were sprayed with red paint, causing an estimated £7 million ($9.55 million) in damage. Four people charged in relation to the incident remain in custody. Palestine Action has condemned its outlawing -- which makes it a criminal offence to belong to or support the group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison -- as an attack on free speech. jj/jj
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
More than 70 arrested at UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
LONDON (AP) — More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the U.K. against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organization by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff. In London, it was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant support for the organization is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered underneath both the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square. Signs with the wording 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' were held aloft in silence as the protesters were surrounded by police officers and members of the media. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the ground as police searched their bags and took away signs. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. The official designation earlier this month of Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act 2000 means that membership in the group and support for its actions are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Some 81 organizations are already proscribed under the U.K. act, including the militant groups Hamas and al-Qaida. The government moved to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on June 20, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Police said that the incident caused around 7 million pounds ($9.4 million) of damage. Four people between 22 and 35 years old were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the U.K. The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey.
