Latest news with #KevinPrice
Powys County Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Powys Council paid £28,000 overtime to one member of staff
OVER £28,000 was paid in overtime to a single Powys County Council worker- a report has revealed. At a meeting of the council's Governance and Audit committee on Wednesday, July 16, members received an internal audit report from SWAP (South West Audit Partnership) into overtime payments made by the council over a 15-month period. During that time £2.84 million was spent on overtime, of which £2.24 million was in the 2023/2024 financial year - about one per cent of the council's total wage bill. The report also showed five council employees received over £20,000 in overtime, 39 between £10,000 and £20,000 and 92 between £5,000 and £10,000. SWAP principal auditor Kevin Price said: 'The council did not operate under a single overtime policy and meant the existing rules were fragmented and inconsistently applied across the board.' He explained that overtime needed to be agreed in advance by managers. Mr Price said: 'We found this process was often informal and lacked proper documentation. 'Noticeably there were a large number of employees that received substantial overtime payments which suggested possible staffing pressures and raised concerns on the impact of long working hours on employee wellbeing.' He stressed that all overtime had been approved before payment was made. Cllr Pete Lewington Cllr Pete Lewington (Conservative) said: 'I do find it a concern that we have five employees earning over £20,000 in overtime, I'm pleased to see that the council's fraud team will be reviewing this as it doesn't seem quite right to me. 'As well as getting the controls framework correct and operational around this, what is the plan to reduce this unacceptably high level of overtime?' Cllr William Powell (Liberal Democrat) was concerned that the council is 'routinely becoming reliant' on staff willing to work overtime and that this is storing up problems in the future. He wanted to see a further study done to look at the wider issues of overtime working at the council. Committee vice chairman and lay member John Brautigam wondered whether the reported signified that there is a skill shortage in the council workforce. Mr Brautigam: 'In my experience it causes those that have the skills to work extraordinarily long hours.' Cllr Graham Breeze (Powys Independents) said: 'Any action we are proposing to take needs to be a matter of urgency, a serious look is needed. 'I'm shocked that it's allowed to happen at this level.' Head of workforce and organisational development Paul Bradshaw said: 'The main thing for me is that whenever anyone works overtime, they are not paid until the manager authorises it.' He believed that flexibility to allow overtime had to be built into organisation structures to deal with work demand and that other councils would also report similar amounts of overtime payments. Mr Bradshaw said: 'I would expect to see one per cent overtime possibly more, so I was reassured.'
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Powys council worker paid £28k in overtime over 15 months
Concerns have been raised about a council's staffing levels after it was revealed an employee was paid more than £28,000 in overtime during a period of 15 audit for Powys County Council found it spent £2.84m on overtime in that time, of which £2.4m was spent in the 2023/24 financial year – about 1% of the council's wage council "did not operate under a single overtime policy" meaning the rules were "fragmented and inconsistently applied across the board", said Kevin Price, principal auditor for South West Audit Partnership (SWAP).Council head of workforce Paul Bradshaw said he was "reassured" of the 1% figure, adding other councils would report similar overtime payments. The report revealed five employees received more than £20,000 in overtime payments, 39 received between £10,000 and £20,000 and 92 between £5,000 and £10, Price told a council committee the audit found the overtime process was "often informal and lacked proper documentation".He added the fact that a large number of employees received "substantial" overtime payments suggested "possible staffing pressures and raised concerns on the impact of long working hours on employee wellbeing".Pete Lewington, a Conservative councillor, said he was "pleased to see the council's fraud team will be reviewing this as it doesn't seem quite right to me"."As well as getting the controls framework correct and operational around this, what is the plan to reduce this unacceptably high level of overtime?" he Brautigam, committee vice chairman, questioned whether the report highlighted a skill shortage in the council workforce."In my experience it causes those that have the skills to work extraordinarily long hours," he Bradshaw, the council's head of workforce and organisational development, said flexibility to allow overtime had to be built into organisation structures to deal with work added other councils would report similar amounts of overtime payments."I would expect to see one per cent overtime possibly more, so I was reassured," he added that a new computer dashboard was being installed that would allow senior staff to see overtime information and "drill down" into why it was needed.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- The Sun
Moment killer thief returns to steal pal's TV & wear his clothes hours after brutal knife murder at seaside hotel
THIS is the moment a heartless murderer returned to raid his victim's home while wearing his clothes, hours after stabbing him 56 times. Adam Saunders returned to the scene of the crime, outrageously wearing a yellow gilet he stole from the hotel owner he killed. 4 The 51-year-old was caught on camera returning to the Garfield Hotel in Lancashire to plunder Kevin Price's possessions as he lay dead. On October 31, the kind-hearted hotel owner had cooked a meal for Saunders but the criminal repaid him by stealing his bag and bank card. He then messaged Kevin on November 7, asking if he wanted company. The callous thug then launched into a frenzied knife attack - stabbing him 56 times in his neck, heart, lungs and torso. As Kevin lay murdered in his bedroom, Saunders returned to raid his home. While wearing his victim's clothes, Saunders stole his TV, used his bank card to buy mobile phones and to withdraw cash. Kevin was discovered by police after his concerned friends reported him missing after becoming worried. Saunders was arrested on suspicion of murder the following week and was subsequently charged. He pleaded guilty to the theft and fraud offences, and, after an eight-day trial, was unanimously found guilty of Kevin's murder and the burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison, where he will have to serve a minimum of 32 years before he can apply for parole. Kevin's sister Diane said: 'Kevin was the most thoughtful, kind, warm and loving person anybody could wish to meet. I loved him so dearly and still do. "I hold him in my heart, and I always will. He was always in my thoughts when he was alive as he is in death. 'Kevin used to ask me to place flowers on our mum and dad's grave for him, which I did every time, however I now have to do it for us both and not separately. This breaks my heart.' Speaking of the trial, she said: 'Having to sit and listen to that man give evidence is hard to describe. It sickened me hearing all his lies, knowing full well what disgusting and inhumane things he did to our Kevin. 'He took Kevin's life and then treated his property like his own. If he'd have respected Kevin like a father as he said in court this would never have happened, and he wouldn't have put all of us through the trial like he has. "I now feel so relieved that we have finally got justice for our Kevin. 'I am truly devastated by what's happened, and I will always love my brother dearly. He will never be forgotten by all those that loved him. RIP Kevin.' DCI Simon Pritchard, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: 'My thoughts today are with Kevin's family and friends. "Hopefully, they can now get some form of closure knowing the man responsible for Kevin's horrific and inhumane death is now starting a considerable sentence. 'Saunders made them sit through a trial, hearing about Kevin's final moments, and how he stole his life. 'Saunders invited himself round to Kevin's home, where he frenziedly attacked him, in the place that Kevin was entitled to feel the safest. "He abused the friendship that Kevin gave him. After taking Kevin's life, he then took his belongings – stealing his money, clothes and other items all while Kevin lay lifeless in the home. 'No sentence will bring Kevin back to the people who loved him. They will go through the rest of their lives without him, because of Saunders' brutality, however Saunders will now have a significant amount of time in custody to reflect on his actions that stole Kevin from his family.' 4
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Man jailed for Blackpool hotelier's 'brutal, frenzied' murder
A man who stabbed a hotelier in a "frenzied attack" before stealing from him has been found 51-year-old Blackpool man Adam Saunders guilty of murdering Kevin Price, who was supposedly his friend, at his hotel in the seaside town on Springfield Road on 7 had messaged him earlier that day asking if he fancied some company before the 59-year-old's body was found with 56 stab wounds, Lancashire Police said. Saunders, of no fixed address, was handed a life sentence and told he must serve at least 31 years in jail at Preston Crown Court. Mr Price was last seen alive on the evening of 7 November, returning to the Garfield Hotel.A police spokesman said Mr Price had responded to Saunders' offer of company by asking him return a bag he had stolen containing one of the hotelier's bank court heard Saunders had gone to the hotel that night and brutally killed left then returned to hotel and stole items including a television, and used Mr Price's bank card to buy mobile phones and withdraw cash, the police spokesman said,Whilst doing this, Saunders even wore his victim's days after murdering him, Saunders booked a stay at a local hotel, where he boasted about having access to money from a friend's credit card.A friend of Mr Price's reported him missing on 10 November after not having heard from him for a few found the hotelier's body in his property with extensive injuries. A post-mortem found Mr Price had been stabbed 56 times and had significant injuries to his neck, chest and back, along with other stab injuries across his who denied murder but admitted theft, was sentenced to one month in prison to run concurrently. 'Inhumane' In a victim impact statement, Mr Price's sister, Diane, said: "Kevin was the most thoughtful, kind, warm and loving person anybody could wish to meet. "I loved him so dearly and still do. I hold him in my heart, and I always will. He was always in my thoughts when he was alive as he is in death."She said listening to Saunders at the trial she was "sickened hearing all his lies knowing full well what disgusting and inhumane things he did to our Kevin"."I am truly devastated by what's happened, and I will always love my brother dearly. "He will never be forgotten by all those that loved him. RIP Kevin."Det Ch Insp Simon Pritchard said after sentencing he hope Mr Price' family and friends could now get some form of closure after his "horrific and inhumane death".He said Saunders abused their friendship and stole his belongings while Kevin "lay lifeless in the home". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Man convicted of Blackpool hotelier's 'brutal, frenzied' murder
A man who stabbed a hotelier in a "frenzied attack" before stealing from him has been convicted of found 51-year-old Blackpool man Adam Saunders guilty of murdering Kevin Price, who was supposedly his friend, at his hotel on Springfield Road in November 2024.A post-mortem examination revealed 59-year-old Mr Price, who lived alone, had suffered 56 stab of no fixed address, will return to Preston Crown Court later for sentencing. Mr Price was last seen alive on 7 November, returning to the Garfield Police said Saunders later entered Mr Price's home and brutally attacked said a friend of Mr Price's reported him missing on 10 November after not having heard from him for a few found the hotelier's body in his property with extensive subsequent post-mortem examination found Mr Price had been stabbed 56 times and had significant injuries to his neck, chest and back, along with other stab injuries across his said that in the days after the murder, Saunders entered Mr Price's home, stole items and fraudulently used his bank card. Det Ch Insp Simon Pritchard said his thoughts remained with Mr Price's loved ones."They have had to listen to evidence explaining Kevin's final days, and how he was killed by someone he thought to be a friend, for the sake of stealing his bank card and property."Saunders killed Kevin in a brutal and frenzied attack. His injuries were so severe that they would have been rapidly fatal." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
