During an interim Mathematics examination which took place in January 2023, and covered financial matters during 2022, the Examination Board raised questions about the amount of petty cash kept in a money box in the Staff Room at the Hayloft Road Palace Retirement Home for Bemused and Bewildered BeFuddled Party ex-Teachers (and Others). The exam board had concerns that money had been frittered away without approval or details of what it had been spent on.
At the time, Smalltown and Dullbridge Town Council staff confirmed that from December 2022 the use of office petty cash had ceased and had been replaced by two debit cards – one for Hayloft Road and one for the White Elephant Enclosure.
Since then the debit cards have been used extensively to purchase a variety of items ranging from screws to teabags from the Amazing website, rather than supporting local suppliers. Purchases are approved by either the Smalltown Administration Guru (SAG), the Smalltown and Dullbridge Smalltown Administration Deputy (SADSAD) and the Smalltown Culture and Arts Manager (SCAM).
However it was been revealed this week that fraudulent activity had been detected on the cards and, whilst the money taken had been refunded by the card company concerned, there was concern that fraud had been perpetuated in the first place.
Due to the ease with which the thefts had taken place the Smalltown Head of Malfeasance (SHAM), Sally Crooks, suggested to Councillors that a government procurement card be used instead of the debit cards, as these cards require verification checks for each use.
Whilst there is no suggestion that SaD staff were involved in the fraudulent activity, it is yet another example of the tinpot way SaD Town Council is run, with no one noticing that money had gone missing until the cards had been used to commit fraud for several months.