Child Porn ex-Councillor Escapes Prison Sentence

Alexander Wood, aged 59, a retired teacher and ex-councillor for Courteenhall on South Northants District Council, who downloaded more than 1,000 abusive images of children and engaged in sexually explicit conversations in internet chatrooms with people he believed to be underage school girls has escaped being sent to prison. At a hearing at Northampton Crown Court last month, Wood admitted a catalogue of offences, including possessing and downloading indecent images and videos of children, and using MSN and other internet chat rooms to incite people he believed to be underage school girls to discuss sex and perform sexual acts for him. Of the 1,300 abusive images found by police, 64 were classified at the two most serious levels involving child sex abuse, bestiality and torture. Sentencing Wood to a three-year community order with supervision yesterday, Judge Ian Alexander QC said he would not be imposing a prison sentence because guidelines would not allow for a term long enough for Wood to complete sex offender treatment programmes. As part of his sentence, Wood will have to attend a sex offender treatment programme and sign the sex offenders’ register. He will also be the subject of a sexual offences prevention order and will have to pay prosecution costs.

If it’s Green, Build on it
West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) is set to use its specialist “regeneration powers” to enable a  waterside development in Northampton. A compulsory purchase order (CPO) is to be used to acquire a strip of land that is in unknown ownership at the site of the former Nunn Mills power station and Avon Cosmetics site. The land will become part of a new road to be constructed on the site, facilitating regeneration and development of these sites. Once the new road is built it will open up a the wider area for development along the River Nene. WNDC is acting on behalf of Avon Cosmetics, Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon Homes, as well as the Homes and Communities Agency whose adjacent Ransome Road scheme will link to the proposed new road. The development area comprises three sites, separated By Nunn Mills road and a railway line. This includes the former Nunn Mills power station, the former Avon cosmetics factory, and the Ransome road development site. WNDC’s Planning Committee granted approval for up to 800 new homes at the Ransome Road site earlier this month, and the Corporation will be investing up to £2.3m in junction improvements at London road to enable the scheme. Together the three sites could provide up to 2,000 waterside homes and see the Battle of Northampton site built on.