Rich... for a moment

I AM sorry to tell you that every one of you was in line to receive £1,000 of public money... until the move was deemed unlawful.

The gift was suggested by the increasingly maverick Conservative councillor Dylan Thomas as Henley Town Council finalised its capital expenditure budget for the year from April 1.

“I would like to propose that we liquefy all our cash holdings and we give the 5,669 households of Henley a tax rebate of approximately £1,000 each,” he said.

Ever a stickler for procedure, Councillor Ian Reissmann responded: “Can the town clerk confirm that’s lawful?”

Janet Wheeler, the clerk, said she believed such a move would not be in order. Shame, I hear you cry.