Former school head and his deputy arrested over '£1.6m fraud scandal'
The former headteacher and deputy head of a leading state school were arrested today over an alleged £1.6 million fraud.
Police swooped on the homes of Sir Alan Davies, former head of Copland Community School in Wembley, and his deputy Richard Evans after claims they took home hundreds of thousands of pounds in unlawful bonuses.
Mr Evans's wife Lesley, 50, was also arrested today at the couple's Barnet home on suspicion of theft and conspiracy to defraud.
The arrests follow a fraud squad investigation into alleged "serious financial irregularities" at the north London school, where one pupil said: "We are all ecstatic and joyful.
"We can put this episode behind us now. [We] can move on and focus on studies."
Whistleblower Hank Roberts claimed in 2009 that the two men had paid themselves bonuses while classrooms were left to crumble.
An investigation by Brent council uncovered evidence of allegedly unlawful bonuses and other payments totalling at least £1,565,700, given to a range of staff at the 2,000-pupil comprehensive school.
Mr Evans was sacked from the school and Sir Alan, who was knighted for services to education, quit before he could be sacked.
Mr Roberts said: "I am pleased the arrests have been made, and I am sure the staff and pupils at Copland are as well.
"There needs to be much stronger oversight of public funds in all areas, especially in education." As a foundation school, Copland had control over its own budget.
Mr Roberts added: "I am very worried about the process of making schools totally independent of local authority control. There will be fewer safeguards.
"Hopefully justice will finally be done."
A Met spokeswoman said: "Detectives from the fraud squad today arrested three people in connection with an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of funds at Copland Community School in Wembley.
"A 53-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were arrested at a residential address in north London. The man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and the woman on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and theft.
"A 64-year-old man was arrested at a residential address in north London in relation to conspiracy to defraud. All three were taken to police stations in north-west London where they are being questioned."
The Evening Standard revealed last year that Mr Evans was given another job teaching maths at Mill Hill County High School in Barnet.
