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The number of people at risk of losing their home in Kent has
DROPPED, according to new figures.
Research by the homeless charity Shelter has shown that in
2010/2011, 2,430 repossession claims were issued to people across
Kent and Medway.
But for the year 2011/2012 that figure fell to 2220 - a drop of
around 10%.
Rachel Orr, campaigns manager at Shelter, said: “It may be that
people are managing to keep their jobs or employment is looking
better than it was a year ago. A lot of people have realised that
times are hard and are cutting back on things.”
In June, unemployment fell in Kent for the third month in a row -
down to 36, 934, according to figures released by the Office for
National Statistics.
Ms Orr continued: “The fact that mortgage and interest rates have
generally stayed low is helpful for households as well and the
longer they do for a number of households the better.”
But the research also revealed several places in Kent are still
repossession hotspots for the South East.
Three of the top 10 places in the region for issuing the most
repossession claims last year were in Kent, including Medway,
Gravesend and Dartford.
Ms Orr concluded: “Repossessions can happen to anyone, it just
takes one small change in your circumstances, whether that’s an
increase in your mortgage payments or scaling back the number of
hours you’re able to work.”
Wednesday, June 27 2012
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Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Black footballer suing old club for race discrimination says they offered him a NHS op rather than private care after an injury - Daily Mail
- Mark McCammon says Gillingham FC tried to 'frustrate him out' by refusing to pay private medical bills
- Kent club 'wholly rejects' McCammon's allegations
Legal action: Mark McCammon, pictured, alleges that he and other black players at League Two club Gillingham were treated differently from white footballers
A black footballer is suing his former club after claiming he was dismissed after being racially discriminated against.
Mark McCammon, 33, alleges that he and other black players at League Two club Gillingham were treated differently from white footballers.
The 6ft 2in striker claims he was ordered to come into the ground amid 'treacherous', snowy driving conditions while some white players were told they were not required.
McCammon has also alleged that the Kent club tried to 'frustrate him out' by refusing to pay private medical bills to help him regain his fitness following injury.
He said was instead offered the choice of undergoing the same operation on the NHS rather than privately, a move he described as 'completely out of character' for a Football League club.
By comparison, the former Charlton, Swindon, Millwall and Brighton player said that a white player was flown to Dubai for treatment by an eminent physiotherapist at the club’s expense.
He claims that after leaving the club, Gillingham 'were effectively campaigning covertly against me' by trying to sabotage his career.
Strong interest was shown following his departure by 11 clubs but talks with all collapsed, often at a late stage, he said.
'It soon became known that the chairman had been interfering,' McCammon said in his witness statement.
'My agent was told by other agents that the job he was doing was an impossible one as they were aware that GFC were effectively campaigning covertly against me with the intention of sabotaging my career.'
Barbados international McCammon signed a three-year contract with Gillingham in 2008 on 2,500 a week and was the club's highest paid player.
Chairman: Mark McCammon is suing Gillingham and its chairman Paul Scally (pictured). Gillingham has said it 'wholly rejects' all the allegations
The first campaign went well but by his third season with the club, they had been relegated to League Two and he suffered an injury that needed an operation.
In his statement, McCammon said: 'The way the chairman approached the matter was that he saw my injury as a way to get rid of any financial obligations, such as my wages, he might have as a result of my contract.
'Effectively, he preferred to offer me some money to get out of the contract rather than have to pay for my injury and help me back to recuperation.
'There was at least eight months left on my contract.
'It was essential that I completed the operation as soon as possible so that I could get my fitness to the right level and start with the team again.'
Instead, it is alleged, McCammon was 'stalled for as long as possible' and eventually offered money to terminate his contract.
He is suing Gillingham and its chairman Paul Scally for race discrimination, breach of contract, unfair dismissal and failure of his ex-employer to pay him.
The case comes at a time of concern about racism in football, particularly at the Euro 2012 championships.
It also comes ahead of the trial of England star John Terry on charges of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Terry denies the charges.
Gillingham has said it 'wholly rejects' McCammon’s allegations.
Tribunal: Footballer Mark McCammon in action for Brighton. He claims Gillingham FC treated him and other black players less favourably than white colleagues
McCammon said that during his injury spell, he had to stay behind at the club for four hours longer than the other injured and non-injured players.
He claimed this was on the 'strict instructions' of Mr Scally.
'Once the players had all left, I sat there watching mind-numbing daytime TV and Britain’s Got Talent,' he said.
'The process of waiting was designed to inflict maximum levels of frustration on me and it certainly had that impact.
'Sitting at the club instead of progressing with my operation was like watching paint dry.'
The events which led up to McCammon’s dismissal were triggered on November 30, 2010, when south-east England had heavy snowfall.
On that day, McCammon claims that he and two other black players - Josh Gowling and Curtis Weston - were told to make the four-mile drive from the house they shared to the club's medical rooms.
'One of my housemates had contacted another player who lived about two miles nearer to the club who was also due to attend the medical centre with us on that day,' McCammon's statement said.
'He was a white player who had informed us that the club physiotherapist had told him that he was not required to come in on that day because of the snow.
Talks: After Gillingham's relegation to League Two at the end of the 2009/10 season, Paul Scally (pictured) brought in Andy Hessenthaler as manager and discussed striker Mark McCammon
'There was a further player we contacted who was in the same boat - ie he needed to attend the club for physio on the same day. He lived further down in Kent in Maidstone and had a longer drive in.
'He was white and had been informed by the club staff that he also did not need to come in for the day because of the snowy conditions.'
Later, McCammon said one of them received a text message threatening to dock them two weeks' wages unless they made it to the stadium by midday.
When he arrived at the club, McCammon said he headed to manager Andy Hessenthaler's room to confront him about being 'racially intolerant' over the decision to order them in.
He claimed that Hessenthaler reacted angrily.
'He lost his temper and flayed the contents of his table. He pushed the table over, throwing overboard the computer on it and all its other contents.
'It was the most aggressive and temperamental physical display of tantrum I had ever seen.
'The body poise in his language as he stood up to address me was a stance that stated, "How dare you talk to me".
'I was concerned he was going to attack me and I asked whether he was planning to hit me.'
On trial: The claims by Mark McCammon come ahead of the trial of England star John Terry (pictured) on charges of racially abusing QPR's Anton Ferdinand, which Terry denies
McCammon was subsequently ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing and later received a letter saying he was dismissed for aggressive conduct towards the manager and racism, it is claimed.
After the club's demotion to League Two at the end of the 2009/10 season, Mr Scally sacked the management team and brought in Hessenthaler, who had been manager at Dover FC.
During Mr Scally's initial discussions with Hessenthaler, they talked about McCammon who was 'regarded as a player who didn't have the best attitude and who had clashed with the previous manager'.
Despite this, Mr Scally asked his new manager to focus on getting McCammon back playing regularly as he was the club's highest-paid player and one of its main strikers.
Mr Scally's witness statement said: 'I wanted Andy and the rest of the management team to get the best out of him performance-wise as, for whatever reason, his playing record for the club and his goal ratio was poor and he appeared to be very injury-prone.'
Regarding events on November 30, 2010, Mr Scally said McCammon was being aggressive, physically and verbally, after he confronted Hessenthaler in his room.
The decision to dismiss McCammon was a unanimous one by all three members of the club's panel.
Mr Scally said the allegation of racism by McCammon was 'maliciously made and without any merit' as a way of deflecting from the fact that he and his two black team-mates had been caught 'lying'.
Mr Scally said that not to dismiss him would have sent the wrong message to the players and the management team about the type of behaviour tolerated at the club.
The employment tribunal is being heard in Ashford over the next four days.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Sussex agree extension for Magoffin - Yahoo! Eurosport
Sussex have signed Australian seamer Steve Magoffin until the end of the 2013 season following his retirement from first-class cricket Down Under.
Magoffin had originally joined Sussex as an overseas player for the first half of the current campaign, but the county have been quick to snap up the 32-year-old on a longer deal following his decision to retire from representing his home state of Queensland.
Magoffin said: "I am very thankful to Sussex CCC, (professional cricket manager) Mark Robinson and (captain) Michael Yardy, for all of their support so far this season, and having the faith in me to continue my first-class career with Sussex CCC, beyond the 2012 summer."
He added: "I have had a wonderful time in my career with Western Australia, and most recently winning the Sheffield Shield with Queensland, and with an addition to our family due in December, this is the right time for my wife and I to relocate to the UK."
Magoffin, who took nine wickets on his Sussex debut against Lancashire last month, has previously had stints at Leicestershire, Surrey and Worcestershire in England.
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
