Doncaster elected mayor Martin Winter has welcomed a Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision not to prosecute him over allegations relating to a local regeneration project. South Yorkshire Police’s economic unit was called in to investigate a number of ‘concerns’ about the Glass Park project by Doncaster MBC’s managing director, Susan Law, in December last year. The council also launched an internal investigation into the project after the Audit Commission found ‘significant overspends’ on ‘excessive’ administration costs, weaknesses in the registration of council members’ interest in schemes, and irregularities in payment of tax and national insurance. But Det Chief Insp Gary Blinkhorn, from the police’s economic unit, said the criminal investigation was now closed. He said: ‘A full file relating to the investigation was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, which on Wednesday 21 June advised police that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone for any offences arising out of the investigation.’ Mr Winter became project director of the transformation of the tip to a park in 1998 and was secretary of the business arm the Glass Park Development Company until 2000. Mr Winter said: ‘I am very pleased to be vindicated by the CPS announcement.’
