Mark Turner has been very vocal against our applications. He gave evidence at our hearing, where he confessed to stealing alcohol as a child and drinking it on Goring Gap and then after on Facebook. Listen here.

But he completely excelled himself in the art of dishonesty when he fabricated a press release and then published this on Facebook and the Goring Resident Association website. After we appealed our licencing rejection to the Magistrates Court, we updated Simon Jones, Head Of Licencing at Worthing Borough Council (in confidence). Simon in turn updated (without our agreement, knowledge or permission) Mark Turner. Mark Turner then betrayed that trust, forged a press release on behalf of Worthing Borough Council and then published this on Facebook and the Goring Residents Association website. Fraud is fraud however you look at it.

We were obviously shocked when we were alerted to see information, we believed we had passed in confidence to Worthing Borough Council, published on Facebook and the Goring Resident Association website as a press release.

Once we found out we alerted Simon Jones who in turn requested Mr Turner to take down his post. Not before his close friend and associate Julie Charalambous, a super Busy-Body, had republished the posting on Facebook and the Goring Resident Association website. Thousands of people have seen this fraudulent press release and it still remains on the Goring Resident Association website. 

We were obviously upset confidential information had been handled this way and complained to Arun District Council. After an investigation they exonerated Mark Turner. It is apparently acceptable for Arun Councillors to commit fraud, fabricate press releases on behalf of neighbouring councils and then publish these on Facebook and other websites. Long live honesty!

The matter has now been referred to the Local Government Ombudsman for an independent review.