Thirty odd years ago I was running a utility billing department when I got a visit from the CID. They were monitoring a local garage that they knew to be connected to London organised crime . The police expected they were going to run up debts and disappear and said we should on no account visit to pursue any debts. Threats of violence had been made to other companies trying to pursue payment. As a precaution meantime they recommended that any staff dealing with correspondence related to this business use false names.
It seemed a bit over the top in those more innocent times but we complied and sure enough the business folded. We wrote off what we were owed.
At least we were forewarned and able not to get involved. We didn’t owe the thugs money so could just stop our pursuit of the debt. In the current situation where councils owe the money they are not in control of the situation and it must be very worrying to those involved.
I do wonder at the naivety of central government when they set up these schemes. I bet council employees knew right away the sort of issues they would face in practice.
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