Ukip Cllr Roger Henson Fights 'Illegal Scrap Yard' Charge In Court | HuffPost

You'll Never Guess Why This Ukip Councillor Is In Court

Asa Bennett— The Huffington Post UK

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UKIP supporter Roger Henson on the local campaign trail in Ramsey Cambridgeshire.

Chris Radburn/PA Archive

Ukip councillor Roger Henson has been fighting accusations in court that he has been running an illegal scrap yard from his family's local farm.

Henson appeared before Peterborough Magistrates Court last Wednesday in response to a summons issued by Huntingdonshire District Council alleging that he had violated a planning notice that meant he should stop using his property on Fen Lane in the village of Stilton to store vehicles, machinery and scrap.

Cllr Henson, who represents Norman Cross on Cambridgeshire County Council, is also believed to own a scrap yard "at some distance apart" down the lane.

The Ukip councillor is understood to have lived in the farm since 1964, on which is scattered old tractors and cars. Friends of the Ukip councillor say that 50% of the tractors still work and the cars belong to his family.

Ukip councillor Roger Henson

Cllr Henson lived at the property until last October, when he decided to sell it, and now has re-rented it back. The planning enforcement notice dated back to October 1985, with legal proceedings taken against Cllr Henson but the site was still deemed to be unsatisfactory by the end of 2003.

The site looked clear of scrap in 2006 when aerial photographs had been taken, however the legal proceedings returned in 2013.

A spokesman for Huntingdonshire District Council told HuffPostUK: "In May 2013, the District Council received a complaint that the site was again being used for the storage of vehicles, machinery and scrap metal, hence the current action.

"If Mr Henson contends the use is agricultural, that is a matter which the Crown Court will come to a view on once it has seen both parties’ evidence."

Martin Curtis, Conservative leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, told HuffPostUK: "I, of course, accept that Cllr Henson is innocent until proven guilty, but this does add to a long list of concerns about UKIP in Cambridgeshire; councillors and candidates ending up in court, press releases containing blatant factual errors, racist and inappropriate comments, as well as some UKIP Councillors totally failing to represent their residents.

"I am not sure this is what voters expect or deserve."

Cllr Henson pleaded not guilty to the charge and so the case has been moved to the Crown Court. The legal battle continues on the 20th June with a plea and case management hearing.

Other Ukip councillors in Cambridgeshire have had their own court trouble. Wisbech councillor Peter Lagoda escaped jail after admitting to swindling nearly £25,000 in benefits, just weeks after garnering controversy for making allegedly "racist" remarks at a local fire station.

See also:

Ukip's Highs And Lows

COMING UP INTO THE WORLD: Ukip Are Born(01 of22)

Ukip was founded in 1993 by LSE professor Alan Sked in opposition to the Maastricht treaty. (credit:Alamy)

GOING DOWN: 1997 General Election(02 of22)

Ukip fielded 193 candidates but only got 0.3% of the vote, losing out to the just as Europhobic Referendum Party, led by billionaire publisher and politician, Sir James Goldsmith, (left), who got 2.6%.Sked resigned saying Ukip "they are racist and have been infected by the far-right", a reputation they have yet to shake.He was replaced with Michael Holmes (credit:PA)

GOING UP: James Goldsmith Dies(03 of22)

The unfortunate death of the rival party leader led to the dissolution of the Referendum Party with many members subsequently joining Ukip. (credit:Alamy)

GOING UP: 1999 Elections To European Parliament(04 of22)

Ukip got 7% of the vote and gained three MEPs.This jolly looking chap, Jeffrey Titford, was one of them. (credit:PA)

GOING DOWN: Holmes Resignation And 2001 General Election(05 of22)

Holmes was forced to resign in 200 due to a conflict between himself and the Ukip's National Executive Committee.Titford became leader.In the following year's general election Ukip failed to gain any seats with a 1.5% of the vote.(The man pictured is not a member Ukip but a pictorial representation of the misery felt by the party during this difficult time) (credit:Alamy)

GOING STEADY: Knapman Takes Over(06 of22)

Titford decided he didn't really like being leader and so was replaced with this fellow, Roger Knapman in 2002.Knapman attracted some attention in 2006 when he employed a team of Polish builders to renovate his home despite his anti-immigration stance. (credit:PA)

GOING WAY UP: 2004 European Elections (07 of22)

Building on their previous European success, Ukip went on to gain a (in relative terms) massive 12 MEPs in 2004. Godfrey Bloom, seen here far-right, immediately triggered a storm of protest over women's rights within hours of starting work in the European Parliament. After being given a place on the Parliament's Women's Rights Committee he told journalists he wanted to deal with women's issues because "I just don't think they clean behind the fridge enough", adding: "I am here to represent Yorkshire women who always have dinner on the table when you get home. I am going to promote men's rights." What a charming gent... (credit:PA)

GOING DOWN TO THE PERMA-TANNED BOTTOM: Kilroy(08 of22)

The deliciously named, orange-faced TV agony aunt, Robert Kilroy-Silk, caused a tabloid frenzy when recruited to Ukip in 2004.He was elected an MEP that year but did nothing to hide his ambitions for leadership causing some consternation amongst the ranks.Silk left the party after nine months.His TV show, Kilroy, was cancelled after he wrote an article in the Sunday Express titelled 'We owe Arabs nothing'. (credit:PA)

GOING UP PAST THE TORIES: Hartlepool By-Election(09 of22)

Ukip finished third in 2004 above the Conservatives who came fourth.In other news this flour incident also happened. (credit:PA)

GOING DOWN TO THE BEACH: 2005 General Election(10 of22)

Ukip were rubbish.They didn't gain a single seat and their best result was third place in Boston & Skegness. (credit:Alamy)

GOING UP. OR DOWN DEPENDING ON YOUR OPINION OF THIS MAN: Nigel Farage(11 of22)

September 2006 saw the introduction of Farage as leader. (credit:PA)

GOING UP WITH BAGS OF CASH(12 of22)

In 2009, Tory party donor extraordinaire, Stuart Wheeler, jumped ships and gave Ukip £100,000.He was, rather unsurprisingly, expelled from the Conservative party for his treachery. (credit:Alamy)

GOING DOWN WITH SOME DODGY FRIENDS: Geert Widlers(13 of22)

In 2009 Farage stood down as Ukip leader so he could contest the seat of Buckingham.Lord Pearson was chosen to replace him.Here is Pearson at a joint press conference with well-known Dutch extreme right-winger and general Islam hater, Geert Wilders.#justsayin (credit:PA)

GOING UP THROUGH THE POLITICAL GLASS CEILING: 2009 European Elections(14 of22)

A climate where the electorate were slightly miffed at a banking crisis at the amount some MPs were claiming on expenses was a bonus for Ukip.They gained 16.5 per cent of the vote, or to put it another way, they beat the government. (credit:PA)

GOING DOWN AGAIN: 2010 General Election(15 of22)

Farage lost to John Bercow.Once again, Ukip failed to win a single seat.This disaster however was slightly overshadowed by... (credit:PA)

GOIND DOWN RATHER QUICKLY AND WITH A SLIGHT BUMP: Plane Crash(16 of22)

Farage was a passenger in this plane when it crashed on the morning of the elections. He broke his sternum, ribs and punctured a lung.The cause of the crash was put down to the Ukip banner the plane was towing getting caught in aircraft's tail. (credit:PA)

GOING UP A LITTLE BIT: Farage Re-Election(17 of22)

Farage was re-elected in August 2010.Lord Pearson said: "The UKIP crown returns to its rightful owner".How nice of him... (credit:PA)

GOING UP HIGHER THAN THEY'D EVER BEEN BEFORE: Rotherham By-Election(18 of22)

UKIP's Jane Collins came second in the 2012 vote with Ukip's highest ever share in a parliamentary election. (credit:PA)

GOING UP SO MUCH IT MADE FARAGE DO THIS FACE: Eastleigh By-Election(19 of22)

Cometh the hour, cometh the grin.This was a huge coup for Ukip as they took second place in front of Labour and the Conservatives in 2013. (credit:PA)

GOING DOWN WITH RACIAL PREJUDICE: Election Candidate Scandals(20 of22)

Farage admitted the party couldn't possibly have vetted all their candidates in the 2013 local elections.Unfortunately for Ukip it meant a number of slightly dubious characters being exposed in the press.This lady for example is alleged to have said: "Only the Zionists could sacrifice their own in the gas chambers."That, quite frankly, is simply not on. (credit:Facebook)

FLYING HIGH: Local Elections 2013(21 of22)

He's right to look chuffed with himself.Ukip came second in the South Shields by-election and got 26 per cent of the vote in the local elections.The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both lost seats.The biggest surge by a fourth placed party since WWII does not bode well for the coalition in 2015. (credit:PA)

(22 of22)

This slide has nothing to do with anything but this picture can NOT go to waste... (credit:Getty Images)

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