ST 182

Statement on Derek Collings

Hampshire County Council Social Services Director Terry Butler said:

"Hampshire County Council Social Services has admitted there was a mix-up around the use of names which resulted in Mr Collings wrongly being identified as a paedophile for a few days back in 1999.

"At no time has the County Council publicly named Mr Collings as a paedophile. In the 2001 court judgement of his defamation case against the County Council, which he lost, the judge said it had been Mr Collings' own actions which resulted in the identity mix-up entering the public domain. At the time Mr Collings, through his solicitor, accepted that the County Council was properly carrying out its duties and responsibilties in investigating whether Mr Collings and the convicted paedophile were the same person.

"We have recently formally apologised to Mr Collings for the error in a bid to improve the working relationship between the department and Mr Collings as part of current, unrelated and ongoing family court proceedings. At no time has the County Council been ordered by the courts to apologise to Mr Collings.

"Mr Collings' ban from Hampshire County Council premises where there may be substantial access to children or their records is wholly unrelated to his mistaken identity. The decision to ban him was taken following discussions with the Police. In a letter to Mr Collings in November 2000 the five reasons for this were made clear.

"We do not ban people from our premises lightly, and on the rare occasions we do it is after careful consideration and generally when the safety of our staff or people in our care is threatened, or there are concerns about the security of confidential documents. Mr Collings has previously been convicted for the assault of a Hampshire County Council social worker.

"We have received a request from Mr Collings to review his ban, and this review will be undertaken in the New Year."

ENDS

For further information please contact: Tracy Buckland on 01962 847363
tracy.buckland@hants.gov.uk

16/12/2004