Cavity Wall Claims Solicitors

A man who kept an unlicensed alligator in his backyard has been ordered to pay nearly £1,000 in fines and costs. Ashley Betts, 32, housed Cliff, an American alligator, in a custom-built outhouse and tank for over a year before it was discovered and seized by police.

The 4ft-long reptile was found on July 11 of last year when officers visited Betts' home in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, for an unrelated matter and asked to see his licence for the animal. At Sheffield Magistrates' Court, Betts claimed he was unaware that a licence was required to keep an alligator, which is native to the US and Mexico.

A teacher suffering from long Covid has been awarded more than £42,000 in compensation after being unfairly dismissed for excessive absences. Joanna White told an employment tribunal that when she raised concerns about her health, her deputy headteacher told her she "just had to get on with it."

Preventing an autistic police officer from undergoing firearms training was an act of discrimination, a tribunal has ruled. PC Lauren Crawford, an officer with Cumbria Police and an international karate player for England, was denied the opportunity due to concerns her neurodiverse condition might pose challenges in high-pressure scenarios, despite strong endorsements from her supervisors and experienced firearms officers.

The tribunal found the decision by Deputy Chief Constable Mark Webster of Cumbria Police to be "puzzling" and noted "overwhelming evidence" that PC Crawford was fully capable of completing the firearms course. As a result, she successfully sued the Chief Constable of Cumbria Constabulary for disability discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, and disability harassment. She was awarded £21,000 in compensation along with an undisclosed sum for loss of earnings.