downsmail.co.uk


Lier force suspended after BBC’s Panorama


MAIDSTONE Borough Council suspended litter wardens from duty for just 24 hours after a BBC Panorama investigation revealed bonuses are being paid linked to the number of tickets they hand out.


The council said itwas aware that employees of Kingdom Security, the company it employs to run its litter warden service, receive a “discre- tionary competence allowance”. But MBC insisted this was linked


to overall performance and not merely the number of tickets issued. Kingdom’s suspension follows the BBC TV airing of Inside the Litter Police, which showed an officer from Kingdom Security claiming that his bonus one month was nearly £1,000. Other officers were filmed hand-


ing out fines for dropped orange peel and poured-away coffee. Panorama sent an undercover re-


porter to work with Kingdom’s en- forcement team in Bexley, where one officer boasted he earned £987 in bonuses in a month while work- ing in Ashford.


On May 16, Jennifer Shepherd, Maidstone council’s head of envi- ronment and public realm, said: “In light of the Panorama investigation, we have made the joint decision with Kingdom to remove the offi- cers from duty today. “We are speaking with Kingdom


to review how we can continue to provide the best service to residents and when officers will be rein- stated.” But an MBC spokesman said the operatives were back on patrol on May 17. The council maintains Kingdom does offer staff “a compe-


Introducing to you, our interior and exterior ranges of porcelain exclusively available and ready to provide you with a seamless continuation of flooring from inside to out.


Not forgetting our extensive range of natural stone flooring that can also provide you with that inside to outside flooring you desire.


The Stone Tile Warehouse thestonetilewarehouse @stonetileware


Visit our warehouse/showroom - Unit 10, Integra ME,


Bircholt Road, Parkwood, Maidstone, Kent ME15 9GQ


 01622 679157 Visit us today


www.thestonetilewarehouse.co.uk


Stone Flooring Specialists


Maidstone East June 2017 31


tency allowance but it’s not a just at- tached to fixed penalty notices, it’s linked to other things aswell.” She added: “The competency al-


lowance is exercised here...how they are conducting themselves is rigor- ously policed by ourselves.We ex- pect them to enforce fairly and transparently.” Panorama exposed how the first


four fines each day went to King- dom and then a bonus of up to £6 per ticket thereafter. Kingdom – which splits the fine


revenues 50-50 with Maidstone Bor- ough Council – claims the scheme is to reward competency and cus- tomer service. The undercover reporterwas told


by a trainer: “Obviously, we are here to make money, I’m not going to not say that to people.” Kingdom has about 28 contracts


with local authorities and, last year, saw its profits jump by 30% to £9m. Kingdom officers returned to


duty in Maidstone last October hav- ing been suspended by the council after one fined a woman for feeding the ducks in Tovil.


News How you reacted to


BBC documentary THIS is how our Facebook followers reacted to the news of the Panorama expose. Readers were outraged how Kingdom Security - which carries out the borough council's litter enforce- ment policy - appeared to focus on soft targets for on the spot fines. The BBC inves- tigation also re- vealed that its operatives get in- centives for dish- ing out penalty notices.


This is a taste of the comments on


our Facebook site: Michelle Hook: "There are not enough bins provided for litter or ciga- rette ends in the Maidstone area, they could use themoney fromjust one fine to provide a bin, but they want the money fromfines." Laura Daynes: "I now see other commuters warning other people, and less of thesewardens hanging around as a result, win, win!!" Ade Rowswell: "After they fined one


of our employees for CLEARING litter from the front of our building & with- out providing a shred of evidence. I am very glad to read this." Carolyn Morgan: "Brilliant news.


One of them tried to finemy husband for dropping a cigarette end and he doesn't even smoke." www.facebook.com/downsmailnews


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56