Cash probe into equality group

Sep 23 2008 by David Himelfield, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A HUMAN rights organisation in Huddersfield has suddenly shut down – months after taking on a convicted fraudster as its chief.

Kirklees Equality and Human Rights Agency (KEHRA) has ceased trading pending “financial investigations”.

Now The Examiner can exclusively reveal KEHRA’s chief executive Carl Hayes was jailed for 12 months in November, 2005 for NHS fraud.

Mr Hayes, then head of Sexual Health Services at West Hull Primary Care Trust, blew £19,000 of NHS money on a luxury lifestyle.

As well a gadgets and booze, Mr Hayes, of Wakefield, used his company credit card to fund a club class flight to Florida together with plush trips to Paris, Prague and Alicante, Spain.

Hayes, who lied about his son having leukaemia, admitted eight charges of deception at Hull Crown Court.