When fraud turns into farce

If anyone doubts what an oppressive Stalinist state we now live in then events at Harrow magistrates today should convince them.

Mrs Mrinal Patel applied to get her five year old son into a popular school and according to Harrow council she used a false address much nearer the school than her own. She in turn claims she gave her mother's address because that is where she was living at the time after a marital break up.

The council used anti-terror legislation to gather evidence against her - did our MPs ever read it when it went through or were they too busy filling out exes?.

After the 007 Jobsworth Bond operation they charged her with fraud - hence the appearance in court today in a case adjourned until next month. She now faces jail for trying to get her child into a good school.

I have no idea whether she was lying or it is all innocent but this looks a bit like using a JCB to pick up a dropped threepenny bit. I am sure I am not alone in thinking that a letter along the lines of prove it or stop pulling our municipal plonker would have had the same effect as an expensive court case all for the cost of a stamp.

So we have Mrs Patel facing jail for doing what she thought was the best for her kids. Meanwhile when it comes to being less than honest about where you live to do the best for your wallet, as in primary and secondary homes, then the worst that can happen seems to be a gold played pension and big payoffs for standing down - as opposed to being sent down.

These are homes, remember, which by a miracle of modern financial smoke and mirrors can be both primary and secondary at the same time when it comes to avoiding capital gains tax and coining in the exes all by the same sleight of hand while they seem to be able to change designation with the regularity of traffic lights.

So how many fraud charges have we seen at Westminster? Think of a number less than one.