Camden mayor in benefit fraud probe stripped of chain

The mayor of a London borough arrested for alleged benefit fraud has been barred from wearing his robes and chain of office.

The move will prevent Omar Faruque Ansari, 55, representing Camden and from meeting Princess Anne at a function tomorrow and the Duke of Gloucester next week.

Mr Ansari has been expelled from the Liberal Democrat group on Camden council after being bailed until March by police investigating whether he wrongly claimed thousands in disability benefits for a neck injury.

After he refused to quit as mayor, council bosses held a meeting to ban him from the mayor's parlour — preventing him from access to his robes, chain or use of the mayoral limousine.

Under its constitution, Camden, which is ruled by a Lib-Dem-Tory coalition, cannot force Mr Ansari to quit.

Instead it has reallocated his responsibilities to the Tory deputy mayor, Lulu Mitchell. He will continue to be paid a £15,954 special responsibility allowance and remains mayor until May.

Camden chief executive Moira Gibb, in a letter to councillors, said it was "untenable" for him to continue attending events as the borough's first citizen.

Police arrested Mr Ansari and he was questioned by officers and officials from the Department of Work and Pensions last week.

Mr Ansari, who has had a heart bypass, was taken to hospital at the weekend with chest pains. He was recovering in the Royal Free hospital. He now sits as an independent councillor.

Mr Ansari receives £474 a month in disability benefit arising from complications following an operation on his neck in 1995.

He also claimed incapacity benefit until it was stopped in 2006 when he became a councillor. He told the Camden New Journal he was an "innocent man", adding: "I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law. I have been a good mayor and I want to continue to serve Camden."

Camden said in a statement: "While it is acknowledged that Councillor Ansari refutes the allegations which have yet to be proven, experience over the last few days has indicated that the current situation is detrimentally impacting upon the functioning of the mayoralty."

Lib-Dem council leader Keith Moffitt could not be reached for comment.