Cheques sent to the council 'have gone missing' in alleged business rate fraud
CHEQUES sent to the council to pay for business rates 'have gone missing' with claims they are being fraudulently cashed.
Business owners raised concerns after receiving reminders from the Royal Borough to pay the tax, despite having already posted their cheques.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Borough told The Observer: "We can confirm that some cheques sent to the borough have gone missing and that the police are investigating the matter. Until police have completed their enquiries we are not in a position to comment further."
The issue was raised at a Windsor Chamber of Commerce meeting at Royal Windsor Racecourse, in Maidenhead Road, on Monday. Members said it is believed business owners have addressed their cheques to 'RBWM' instead of writing the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in full enabling the cheques to be cashed by someone else.
The chamber is urging ratepayers to write the council's name out in full when writing out cheques.
Janet Campbell, owner of Inspirations gift shop, in Sunninghill High Street, had a cheque for £332 go missing.
She said: "What seems to be happening is that I sent a cheque on March 23 [for £329] for the first payments for the shop which went missing, but was not cashed.
"Last month on June 25, I sent July's payment [£332]. That went missing too and has been cashed. I have had to call the bank and checked with the council and they had not received it.
"I received a letter [from the council] saying that I had to pay and my account has been put on hold."
She added: "People sending cheques need to be warned that they need to pay it to the full name.
"Other people at the meeting said they had the same problem, and there are others with much larger cheques going missing. For people losing large amounts it is quite worrying."
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