Leader: Castle Hall petition inquiries are a waste of police time

Oct 23 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SUGGESTIONS that some of the protests against the controversial schools closure plan in North Kirklees were dodgy throws up several issues.

Clr Ken Smith says that some of the signatures on petitions trying to save Castle Hall School were false and some bogus letters had been sent.

Clr Smith describes this as ‘despicable.’

But campaigners have said that this was only a tiny fraction of the overwhelming support for those against the closure plan.

The bottom line is that despite virtually 3,000 objections and only two people supporting the move, Kirklees still decided to axe the school.

So why bother to rake over all this now and to talk of involving the police seems pointless at this late stage.

Surely Kirklees councillors must be aware the police have far better things to do than investigate possibly dodgy names on objections to a decision that has already been taken.

Everyone knows that the support for the council plan was scarce, so why make such a big issue now?