9:59am Friday 3rd July 2009
By Tomasz Johnson
HARROW Council has dropped its case against a woman who claimed she was living at her mother's address to get her son a place in a popular school.
It was alleged that Mina Patel, of Streatfield Road, had claimed to be living in Willow Court, Fulbeck Way, for her son to get a place at Pinner Park First School in Melbourne Avenue.
Harrow was the first council ever to use the Fraud Act to prosecute a parent for lying on an application form, but that action has now been withdrawn.
The council claimed she had been living in Streatfield Road since 1994, and had falsely declared her home address.
Mrs Patel was offered a place for her son at Pinner Park, but she was challenged by council investigators about the alleged false declaration and the case was passed to the courts.
The school place was withdrawn when the allegation of fraud came to light, and Rhys Patel has been put into a private school.
Councillor David Ashton, leader of the council, said the case had been brought "with the greatest of reluctance after attempts to get Mrs Patel to expand on apparent irregularities on the school application form proved fruitless".
He pointed out that Mrs Patel declined four interview requests to discuss the form.
He said that while the council stands by the substance of its case, the legal advice was that technical arguments over the interpretation of the act could pose a threat to its success.
He added: "We have therefore decided that, rather than incur potentially costly legal fees over a Crown Court Case that might be undermined by legal argument, the interests of residents are better served by Harrow Council withdrawing this action.
"This case was never about persecuting mothers who wish to do the best for their children; it was about defending the integrity of the school system against those who might seek to flout it."
He said the council would consider bringing legal action against parents in the future as "a last resort".
In 2008 when Mrs Patel applied for the school place, Pinner Park received 411 aplications for 90 places, making it the most oversubscribed school in Harrow.
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