Councillor Knacker - An Apology

by Isle of Thanet Gazunder Legal Editor Betty Swallocks

In our report on Friday, April 25, we said former Mayor Les Knacker had been found guilty of breaching the Standards Board for England code of conduct following a fracas at a civic pork pie eating competition last year. As pointed out by his legal adviser, The Right Hon Mr Chiselum QC, Cllr Knacker was in fact cleared of any misconduct. We would like to apologise for our error. Cllr Knacker was, however, found guilty of breaching the code in an earlier matter, concerning a diary entry which referred to a 'Wogs night'. We have been asked to make it clear there has never been any evidence Cllr Knacker is racist, nor has there been any evidence of racial harassment, and we accept his explanation that, due to dyslexia, he had misspelled the entry, which in fact referred to a toupé-ware party organised by his wife. We, and our accountants, are happy to make these points clear.