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Wednesday, Aug 05 2009 This
Evening  17°C   Tomorrow
Morning 22°C   5-Day Forecast

'I was turned into a pariah for complaining about a yob'

By Andy Dolan
Last updated at 12:53 PM on 26th June 2009

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Jane Clift: Libel victory after a four-year legal battle

Jane Clift saw it as her public duty to report a drunk she saw trampling
flowers in a park.

But her efforts led to a surreal nightmare in which she was branded
potentially violent and put on a council blacklist with thugs and sex attackers.

Her details were circulated to an extraordinary range of public and private
bodies, including doctors, dentists, opticians, libraries, contraceptive
clinics, schools and nurseries. Their staff were advised not to see her alone.

The 43-year-old former care worker was forced to withdraw an application to
become a foster parent and, eventually, to leave the town where she had lived
for ten years.

Now, after a bitter four-year legal battle with Slough Council, the stain on
her character has finally been removed.

The High Court ordered the council to pay her &pound;12,000 in libel
damages after a case which has cost taxpayers an estimated &pound;500,000 in
legal fees.

Mrs Clift said last night: 'I hope this means others will never have to go
through the hell I have suffered.'

Her ordeal began in August 2005 when she called the police after the drunk
threat-All it takes is one council bufened her in Slough's Sheffield Road Rest
Gardens. The man had fled by the time police arrived, but they advised her to
contact the council, which was running a campaign to persuade local people to
report anti-social behaviour.

foon to take a dislike to you and he or she can put you on this register.
There was no right of appeal. The only way I could overturn it is was to embark
on this massive legal battle.'

Mrs Clift added: 'What is terrifying is that there is almost no proof
required and no hearing to determine the truth of the allegation. It could
happen to anybody who gets into even the most minor disagreement with their
council.'

Potentially violent: Jane Clift was blacklisted after
complaining when an abusive drunk damaged this flowerbed

She said she had no idea such a register even existed before her name was
added to it.

The entry expired after 18 months but by then she had been forced to leave
Slough.

Mrs Clift, who now lives in Birmingham, said: 'I am not and never have been violent
-  as the jury have found.

'It has taken me four years to clear my name and I hope Slough and other
councils never again misuse their registers.' Simon Davies, from the human rights watchdog Privacy International,
said: 'This just shows the megalomania of these local authorities. This poor
woman was subjected to a Kafkaesque ordeal because of an incorrect allegation
made by one official.

'It is the sort of behaviour that we would have condemned if it came from China or Russia. Our councils seem to be out of control.'

During the eight-day hearing the court was told Mrs Clift had told another
council worker that, as far as she was concerned, Miss Rashid could 'drop down
dead'.

She followed up with a letter in which she wrote: 'I felt so filled with
anger that I am certain I would have physically attacked her if she had been
anywhere near me. I truly am not of that nature and so, surely, this should act
as a wake-up call to the borough as to the capacity she has for offending
people.'

But her counsel, Hugh Tomlinson, said the letter was misinterpreted and the
decision to put her on the register had been 'completely ridiculous'.

Her name was added to the blacklist because she was 'a thorn in their side'
and the council thought the move would mean no-one would take her seriously.

Mr Justice Tugendhat ordered Slough to pay the legal costs of the case,
estimated at between &pound;450,000 to &pound;500,000.

Mrs Clift brought the action under a 'no win no fee' arrangement with her
legal team.

A council spokesman said later: 'The jury found that what we recorded about
Mrs Clift was not true, but they were not prepared to find that we acted in bad
faith.

'We will reflect carefully on how we need to respond.'

Explore more:

People:

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Comments (40)

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I'm surprised to see how many people on here seem to think
it is OK for members of the public to issue death threats against council
employees.
With attitudes like that is easy to see why so many doctors,
nurses and socilal workers are physically and verbally abused each year.

- Chris Jones, Leeds, 26/6/2009 12:34

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rate

Rating   192

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abuse

The old saying still holds true.
"No good deed goes
unpunished".

- John L, Maryland, USA, 26/6/2009 12:30

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rate

Rating   83

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abuse

Why don't the council actually spend money on actually
tackling anti social behaviour rather than persecuting an innocent woman trying
to make the world a better place for all decent people (remember us?). No doubt
the poor council staff needed time off for counselling after dealing with such a
"difficult customer". Heaven help them if they had actually had to deal with the
yob who was causing the problem in the first place! I am glad that I don't live
in Slugh as I would object to my council tax being used to fund this ridiculous
case. This could have been resolved by someone senior taking responsibility for
actually speaking to the lady and assuring her that they do take the issue of
anti social behaviour seriously. Even if they had no chance of catching the
perpetrator then at least she would have been reassured by the fact that the
council do take complaints seriously.

- carol, Bolton.UK, 26/6/2009 11:59

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rate

Rating   128

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What sort of spiteful, small minded jobsworths does this
council employ?

- Stratford, Hants., 26/6/2009 11:37

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rate

Rating   153

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abuse

Don't worry, Cameron said that he would repeal all these
draconian laws when he gets in power.!!!!!!

- Paul, East London, 26/6/2009 11:36

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rate

Rating   92

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abuse

Sack these insidious council jobsworths.

- Hrothgar, Zimbabritain, 26/6/2009 11:36

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rate

Rating   138

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abuse

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