Off the Record

Remember that £50m that Kent County Council had deposited in banks in Iceland? There is some good news – the authority has got almost all of it back. Accounts published by the council show £47.4m has now been paid back by the three banks involved – almost £5m more than was returned in 2013-14.

The only downside is that it has taken close to seven years to recoup the money.

In these days of austerity, every corner of County Hall is being squeezed to save money. The authority is even saving the pennies on its fleet of cars used to ferry its VIPs like the leader Paul Carter and the chairman around on official business.

The amount spent this year was £38,800. And before you ask: that is £5,000 less than the previous year.

At this rate, they will be hitchhiking to events and meetings. You could sell tickets for that...

The demise of Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson means that, sadly, we will probably be deprived of a race around the Ashford ‘shared space’ road scheme.

Those with long memories – that includes Off The Record – will recall Paul Carter wanted the presenter to visit so he could explain how the scheme worked and hinted that the pair could have a race.

Much to our regret, the battle of the petrol heads seems even less likely to occur.

Kent Police officers are required to declare absolutely anything they are presented with as gifts by the public.

The latest register of interests lists one officer receiving five bags of boiled rice, while another felt compelled to disclose that they had received a piece of apple pie from a grateful member of the public.

Follow Paul on Twitter @ PaulOnPolitics for all Kent’s political news and gossip.