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A high-ranking former Kent police chief at the centre
of an investigation into allegations he sexually harassed female
colleagues took his own life, a coroner has ruled.
David Ainsworth, who rose to the rank of assistant chief constable at Kent after 22 years in the force, had relocated to Wiltshire at the time of the investigation.
He was facing up to 24 allegations from women across the two forces.
The then Deputy Chief Constable with Wiltshire police was found hanged while under investigation for making sexist remarks to female colleagues.
Brian Moore, the former chief constable of Wiltshire Police, said the force had offered support to David Ainsworth in the weeks before his death.
The inquest heard Mr Ainsworth felt the force was "gunning for him" and feared he would "lose everything" as a result of the investigations.
But his former boss Mr Moore - now head of the troubled UK Border Force - said Mr Ainsworth's welfare was taken seriously.
Trowbridge Coroner's Court in Wiltshire was told investigations into alleged sexist behaviour covered DCC Ainsworth’s two years with Wiltshire Police AND his 22 years at Kent.
The high-flying officer - who earned £110,00 a year and was nicknamed ‘The Brain’ due to his intelligence - was accused of telling one female ‘nice buttons’, while looking at her top, in one of the claims.
Coroner David Ridley heard the allegations relating to Mr Ainsworth's time in Kent surrounded two text messages - but the court was not told the exact nature of the claims.
But the inquest was told yesterday Mr Ainsworth had been researching suicide methods on the internet up to one month before he died.
The information was revealed through examinations of the officer's personal computer.
They included viewing websites on hanging and started on February 25 - shortly after he received statements of those making allegations against him.
The last search was made on March 21 - one day before he died.
DCC Ainsworth’s partner Joanna Howes previously told the inquest how she found her boyfriend hanging in the garage of their cottage on March 22.
Mr Ainsworth, 49, was removed from regular duties last September as South Wales Police conducted an external inquiry. He joined Kent Police in 1986, before leaving to work in Wiltshire.
While in Kent, he took on a number of roles, including head of the force inspectorate, area commander at north Kent and head of the force communications centre.
David Ridley, coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon, recorded a verdict Mr Ainsworth had taken his own life.
Wednesday, June 13 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
London landlords squeeze cash from dead space - Reuters UK
LONDON |
LONDON (Reuters) - London landlords are renting out everything from vacant stores to empty sports fields, rooftops and even an abandoned quarry to cash in on the tight supply of space in the UK capital during the Olympic Games this summer.
Eleven million fans, sponsors and athletes are expected to arrive in Europe's second-most crowded city from July, stoking huge demand for storage, temporary shops and vantage points for TV cameras, in turn allowing landlords to cash in on otherwise dead space.
"You'll see usable space created that doesn't currently exist," said Mark Hughes-Webb, managing director of Space-2 Consultancy, a specialist real estate firm that finds buildings for events and film shoots.
"It's been a long time since the Games were in such a densely populated city," Hughes-Webb said. "People are having to be more imaginative."
London, the European Union's most densely populated city after Paris according to EU statistics, will host the games between July 27 and August 12. Homeowners have already hiked rents by up to six times in anticipation of the influx and commercial landlords are getting in on the act.
Unlike the last two Olympic cities of Beijing and Athens, where neighbourhoods were demolished to create venues, or they were located in more sparsely populated outlying areas, most of the 34 London sites are at the heart of built-up areas.
The Games' epicentre at Stratford in the east of the city has benefited from a 7 billion pound injection of infrastructure, sporting venues and homes, revitalizing an area better known for its polluted waterways and industrial estates.
Sites for hire include a former limestone quarry near the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, southeast England, the owner of which is targeting contractors seeking temporary staff accommodation. Its proximity to a high-speed rail link means it is 30 minutes from the Olympic stadium in Stratford.
VACANT UNITS
Elsewhere the owners of a sports field in Chiswick, west London, are in talks with an overseas group of performers to rehearse for the handover ceremony to Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian city that will host the Games in 2016.
Sites like these can cost between 10,000 to 20,000 pounds a week, Hughes-Webb said.
Also in demand are empty shops, particularly those close to busy retail areas like Oxford Street and Covent Garden, which are being snapped up by the likes of high-end U.S. clothing brand Opening Ceremony to house temporary, pop-up stores.
"Enquiries from landlords looking to lease out their vacant units during the Olympics have risen by 50 percent," said Rosie Cann, director at consultancy Pop-up Space.
Rents can be between a few hundred pounds to 20,000 pounds depending on the location and size. Stores generally remain open for between a day and two weeks, agents said.
Vacant shops around train and subway stations or Olympic venues are being rented by smaller sporting and drinks brands in need of makeshift space to store merchandise, Hughes-Webb said.
Not all attempts to find space are successful. Nike Inc's plan to build a temporary two-storey building to host exercise classes in Regents Park was blocked by Westminster council on the grounds it would ruin the park's appearance.
Equally those with empty space near venues may not see a big pay day. The London Olympic organising committee (LOCOG) bans non-sponsors from advertising within 300 metres of venues, keeping demand in check, property experts say.
Official sponsors Cadbury, BMW and British Airways are among those companies expected to seek temporary space near Olympic venues, which include a man-made beach on the Greenwich peninsula on the Thames built specially for the Games.
PANORAMIC VIEWS
Australian developer Lend Lease owns large chunks of land around the O2 arena, also on the Greenwich peninsula and the venue of the gymnastics and basketball competitions. It will lease out land earmarked for redevelopment to Olympic sponsors to make a short-term return and in an attempt to lure permanent office tenants to the area.
"We are most definitely making money from this," Simon Donaldson, Lend Lease's head of retail operations said, declining to say how much but adding it would be substantially more without the LOCOG rules.
Elsewhere demand from film crews keen to capture panoramic views of the London skyline has pushed up prices for rooftop space. Fees are likely to double from their norm outside of the Games to 300 pounds per hour over the period, Hughes-Webb said.
Developers of the 95-storey Shard skyscraper next to London Bridge train station, about six kilometres from the Olympic park, have been approached by a string of broadcasters about filming from western Europe's tallest tower, a spokesman told Reuters, declining to give further details.
Cash-strapped local councils are also getting in on the act. Newham, home to the Olympic stadium, has rented out the upper floors of two largely empty apartment blocks next to the Olympic Park to broadcasters BBC and Al Jazeera, while Redbridge council in northeast London is leasing out a forest to a temporary hotel company to house 4,200 Olympic security staff for an undisclosed sum.
Yet many landlords are missing out as they are unaware of the strength of demand for storage space, or the value of being close to the Olympic park, Hughes-Webb said.
"People are fixated on what the space is, not what it could be. They're looking at it and saying 'it's just an empty field'," Hughes-Webb added. "Well, it's not to us."
(Editing by Tom Bill and David Holmes)
Source: uk.reuters.com
Millions to be spent on Kent’s roads following wet weather - Kent News
An extra £6m is being invested in road repairs in Kent
By Marijke Cox, Reporter
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
1:28 PM
County Hall chiefs say they want to keep on top of road repairs following last year’s successful pothole drive
Millions of pounds of spare cash saved through cutbacks at County Hall will be invested in protecting roads following the prolonged spell of wet weather.
Highways chiefs at Kent County Council said the authority had to protect roads, particularly after the significant investment made to fix potholes caused by the big freeze in 2010.
It was agreed that £6m would be added to the rolling budget reserve for highways from a forecast £16.2m revenue under-spend – excluding schools spending – at the council, which is being saved as part of a four-year plan to save more than £300m.
“We’ve done excellent work with highways and if we don’t consolidate that and this rotten weather continues, it could undermine all that work we’ve done,” said cabinet member for finance, Cllr John Simmonds.
“We know that over the next two or three years we are going to have to manage on less money.
“It is absolutely important that we continue to be prudent. This isn’t a spending spree, it’s so we don’t end up spending unnecessary money on pot holes.”
Members agreed that due to the prolonged spell of rain, the £6m should be put aside for roads to stop a backlog of maintenance work.
Cabinet member for highways Cllr Bryan Sweetland said it was pleasing more money was being invested in the network.
“Here in Kent we have 5,000 miles of roads and 7,000 of pavements and footways – that’s a huge asset and we need to keep on top of that,” he said.
“Last year we were successful in securing a £6.2m grant from government partly to repair pot holes, which was done successfully.
“The remainder, about half, was used for resurfacing and this extra £6m will also be used for resurfacing, not for potholes, but for proper resurfacing, new road surfaces and to look at some pavements that we’ve got to bring up to standard.
“We would need many times that amount to look at all of Kent’s roads, but I think this is a good use of money and is welcomed.”
Some £2m of the predicted under-spend is also to be set aside for investment in technology and communications to improve communication with the public.
A business plan is due to be drawn up and, if successful, the funds will be used to implement the proposals.
Early indications suggest that in the long term improved communications could save the authority as much as £20m.
Commenting on the under-spend and finance update, leader of KCC Cllr Paul Carter said: “The finance team has done extraordinarily well.
“There were a lot of sceptics at the beginning of the financial year that said our budget was undeliverable and that we wouldn’t deliver it in line with expectations, but we’ve done that and a little bit more,” he said.
In an update on the council’s finances it was revealed that so far 1,196 posts have been cut from the 1,500 anticipated over the four years. Of those, 605 staff were made redundant.
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
Aaron Cook: What more could I have done to gain selection for London 2012 Olympics? asks snubbed taekwondo star - Daily Telegraph
All of these performances were in the -80kg Olympic weight category, not -87kg. Based on the listed performance criteria of British Taekwondo’s, I have been overlooked based on a subjective analysis of criteria not listed in the selection policy and due to British Taekwondo casting doubt on the world rankings and the change in wording (not the actual rules) of head shots.
According to my coach, Patrice Remarck, GB Taekwondo also questioned my ability to perform under pressure and how I might perform in front of a home crowd. I find this a strange point as I have a proven track record of success under pressure at home as well as abroad, including seven British Open wins, an Olympic test event win and the European Championship. I also competed in a world Olympic qualification quarter-final at just 16 years of age.
I am incredibly proud to be world No 1. Contrary to the belief that I am a ‘points chaser‘, I have entered only two extra ranking tournaments to that of the GB academy, a grade one and grade two – the latter US Open was originally part of British Taekwondo’s selection events.
I find performance director Gary Hall’s views in the media on the world rankings last week highly disrespectful to the sport of taekwondo. They imply that it is easy to turn up to low level events and win points, thus undermining my status as the world No 1. This is what they specifically did in front of my coach at the third selection meeting.
Although I accept no ranking system is without its flaws, the world rankings are the world rankings. It was interesting to hear Hall on Sunday on BBC Radio refer to them as “great” having previously said that they were “flawed”.
- Key rule change
Sport Taekwondo UK, the governing body’s high-performance division, has argued that international rule changes on how head shots are scored make Lutalo Muhammad a better medal prospect than Aaron Cook, despite their differing rankings, writes Jessica Winch.
Under the new guidelines, a player has only to touch his opponent’s head to score rather than kick it forcefully, something the selection panel believed weighed in Muhammad’s favour, given his height and flexibility. The new head shot rule was in place at the European Championships last month, where Cook secured gold and Muhammad won the -87kg title.
Unfortunately I will never believe or be convinced that my non-selection for my home Olympics was not politically motivated. When my non-selection was announced, I had the right to challenge its process via a quasi legal body called Sports Resolution. Their findings were very conclusive but we are not allowed to discuss them or release them. Given that selection has now been ratified and British Taekwondo is keen on showing their integrity and transparency, perhaps we can all agree to release this to the media and public for their consideration?
Why have I not been selected? Simple. Because I left the British Taekwondo system last year.
Recently I was asked if I would do the same thing knowing what I know now. I replied, absolutely.
Thanks to the help of my team, including my brother Luke and my coach, I am in the form of my life. I have won seven open titles and the Olympic test event; I have successfully defended my European crown against one of my biggest rivals, Ramin Azizov, a player I was never able to defeat while in the academy; I am world No 1.
My form was not good enough while in the academy: I lost three matches in a row, including at the 2011 World Championships. A mere seven weeks prior to the tournament, the GB academy pulled my coach, Professor Moon. I had previously been given assurances that he would be my coach till London 2012, but instead I was forced to work with a coach, Steven Jennings, with whom I had no relationship and who already had responsibility for three other athletes, including his wife, who would fight on the same day as me. It was crazy.
I am disappointed in UK Sport and its stance. I would like to ask Liz Nicholl, their chief executive, what more I could have done to be selected in terms of performance? Also why did UK Sport sign off on a selection policy with so much subjectivity? Why did the BOA also do this? Should its changes to the structure of GB Taekwondo in 2010 have included changes to the performance structure of the sport?
I also find it puzzling how my results from major championships which I personally funded can go towards my national governing body’s right to seek higher investment in the sport, yet entitle me to nothing. GB Taekwondo claims it has won six golds at the last three major championships, but two of these are mine.
Since I left the academy I worked hard to maintain a professional relationship with those at British Taekwondo. As an athlete I would be the first to congratulate the other players on their success. But I have not been treated fairly or respectfully in this whole process.
I am worried for the future: not just my own, but the future of the sport in Great Britain. I made many sacrifices for the sport in pursuit of my dream. I have no education as I left school at 15 to concentrate on my preparations and qualification for Beijing. My family moved 300 miles from Dorset to Manchester to support me. We have all invested heavily to make this dream happen. We were also supported by some great sponsors and a great sports marketing agency.
However, the message to future Olympians is: “It is not about performance. It is about the system protecting itself.”
I have received so many messages of support from the taekwondo family worldwide and from sports fans in the UK. I thank you all. It saddens me that this whole debacle has happened. It brings our great sport into the headlines for the wrong reasons. It worries me that this may not help the sport of taekwondo as it bids to continue as an Olympic Sport with the IOC review in 2013. This may actually be my last Olympic chance. I hope not.
If I am not competing in the London Games, it will not be the ultimate competition. Citius, Altius, Fortius is the Olympic motto. The competitions are meant to represent the best of the best. The world’s top 15 will be there. But not the world No 1 as things stand.
What more could I have done?
- Taekwondo in turmoil: How the story unfolded
- June 18, 2011
Aaron Cook resigns from the Great Britain world-class performance programme to pursue his own training schedule outside the guidance of GB Taekwondo. - May 6, 2012
Cook wins the European Championship in Manchester, reclaiming the title he won in 2010. Lutalo Muhammad had won the European title in the -87kg category, which is not in the Olympics, the day before. - May 23
GB Taekwondo omits Cook from the London 2012 squad in favour of Muhammad. The formal announcement is delayed after Cook appeals against the decision. - May 25
Cook wins an appeal against GB Taekwondo’s initial decision due to anomalies in statistics and with voting. UK arbitrator Sporting Resolutions ask GB Taekwondo to reconsider. The selectors again favour Muhammad. - May 28
Amid growing disbelief over the decision, Cook appeals to the British Olympic Association over his exclusion from the London 2012 squad. - May 31
The British Olympic Association rejects GB Taekwondo’s nomination in the -80kg weight category and orders a third selection panel. GB Taekwondo defends its decision and says it may appeal the ruling. - June 6
GB Taekwondo agrees to reconvene its selection panel and the five-member team meet in Manchester. Once again they omit Cook in favour of Muhammad. - June 7
The World Taekwondo Federation accuses GB Taekwondo of a “lack of transparency” and bringing the sport into disrepute. The WTF decides to investigate the circumstances of the world No 1’s omission from the team. - June 8
The BOA ratifies the nomination of Muhammad in the -80kg category at London 2012. Cook says he will seek legal advice.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
London Olympics 2012: Millar Gets Road Race Nod - ibtimes.co.uk
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On the track, four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy leads the sprint contingent in London, with Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes making up the remainder of the male squad.
Hoy, who in London will compete at his fourth games, is proud to be representing Team GB on home turf.
"It's a huge honour to be selected to represent your country at an Olympic Games," he said. "It's even more special to know I'm definitely part of the team for London 2012. This will be my fourth Olympics but my first home Games, and it's going to be an amazing experience and a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us.
"The standard in the British cycling team is so high and the selection process is always going to be tough, but there's a great atmosphere in the team and we just need to keep putting in the hours in training and make sure we're in the best shape possible for race day.
British Cycling are however yet to decide whether Hoy or Kenny, who edged the Scot in the World Championships in Melbourne earlier in the year, will take the one individual sprint spot for London, an event which the 36 year-old Hoy is currently Olympic champion.
Victoria Pendleton and Jessica Varnish will look to match their gold medal winning performance at February's World Championships, with both making up the female sprint team.
In the endurance events, all attention will be on the male and female sprint quartets hoping to replicate their Melbourne heroics come London, while Laura Trott will hope to build on her omnium world title. Ed Clancy will compete in the men's omnium event.
Shanaze Reade and Liam Phillips will hope to build on their Olympic debuts with medals in the BMX competition, while Liam Killeen and Annie Last make up the Mountain Biking team.
Reade is hoping support from her British support can help to glory come this summer.
"I'm really excited to have been selected for the London 2012 Olympic Games," she said. "If the test event and the recent World Championships in Birmingham are anything to go by, the home support will be a massive boost to me. I feel that I am in good form at the moment and I'm really motivated for this. I just can't wait to race."
Team GB Cycling squad:
Track (Sprint):
Philip Hindes, Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, Victoria Pendleton, Jessica Varnish
Track (Endurance):
Steven Burke, Edward Clancy, Wendy Houvenaghel, Peter Kennaugh, Danielle King, Joanna Rowsell , Andrew Tennant, Geraint Thomas, Laura Trott
BMX:
Liam Phillips, Shanaze Reade
Cross Country Mountain Biking:
Liam Killeen, Annie Last
Men's Road (five to be selected)
Mark Cavendish, Steve Cummings, Chris Froome, Jeremy Hunt, David Millar, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Bradley Wiggins
Women's Road (four to be selected)
Lizzie Armitstead, Nicole Cooke, Katie Colclough, Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin, Emma Pooley
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Source: www.ibtimes.co.uk
London Olympics 'to come in £476m under budget' - BBC News
The London Olympics is set to come in under its £9.3bn budget with £476m of the contingency funding left, according to new government figures.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was "fantastic news" that the games would be on time and under budget.
Ministers expect to be able to return the remaining money to the Treasury.
The £9.3bn budget, which included a £2bn contingency, was set in 2007 and was almost four times the estimated cost at the time London bid in 2005.
The budget was revised upwards after taking into account previously overlooked costs such as VAT, increased security costs, and an expanded brief for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to regenerate the lower Lea Valley area.
Addressing the original bid budget of £2.4bn, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said there was a "recognition right from the word go that figure would have to change dramatically on the basis of delivering the Games".
Mr Hunt said: "Britain has proved that not only can we put on a great show for the world to watch like we did with the Jubilee but that we can also deliver big construction projects on time and on budget."
Mr Robertson said the latest figure for the Games, which begin next month, was "a great advert for the British construction industry, for sport and for UK Plc".
Following the success of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the ongoing Olympic torch relay, additional funding of £19m has been earmarked to bolster crowd control and public information for the games.
The money, which will be allocated from within the £9.3bn budget, will pay for additional stewards and crowd flow measures in central London as well as the "last mile" - what organisers describe as the distance between transport hubs and Games venues.
Mr Robertson said: "We know exactly how many tickets have been sold and roughly how many people should be in London. Absolutely nobody knows how many people are going to turn up.
"London this summer is going to be the place to have a party. It is a great national event. It is very difficult for us to know exactly how many people are going to come across on the train, in the car or on the ferry only for a party."
The government confirmed the work of the ODA, which is responsible for developing and building the venues and infrastructure for the games, is 98% complete.
It will not be fully completed until after the Games when the ODA will convert apartments in the Olympic village into thousands of new homes.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
