Tories expel councillor stopped at airport with almost £40,000

Coun Mark Preston had almost 40,000 confiscated by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) following a trip to Amsterdam.

Security staff said they found quantities of cash hidden in shoes in his hold luggage as well as his hand luggage.

At the time, the 49-year-old said most of the money belonged to a friend in Venezuela who had asked him to store it in the UK.

He said the remainder was the property of a company of which he had previously been a managing director.

A UKBA spokesman said that their investigation revealed that neither the company nor the contact named by Coun Preston had any knowledge of the cash.

A civil hearing at Scunthorpe Magistrates' Court ruled that the money should be confiscated.

Yesterday the Haltemprice and Howden Conservatives confirmed he had been expelled from the party.

Coun Preston was already representing the Howden ward as an independent after refusing to follow the Conservative group whip in a vote two years ago.

Last night Coun Preston said that he has never claimed the money was his. He did not appear at the hearing and did not contest the forfeiture.

He said: "The money was not mine and I gave documentary evidence of where that money came from.

"Being associated with an arrest under the Proceeds of Crime Act obviously does not look good but there does not seem to be very much that I can do to change that.

"From what I can gather there is no line of appeal, there is not much that I can do.

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More than 22,000 was found in Coun Preston's hold luggage, with a further 17,740 found in his hand luggage.

Helen Gilmour, Chairman of Haltemprice and Howden Conservatives said he had been expelled from the party following an extraordinary meeting of the executive council.

She said: "In accordance with the rules of Haltemprice and Howden Conservative Association, Mr Preston's membership of the Conservative Party was suspended on October 20, pending an executive council meeting which was held after the necessary 14 days notice period."

Coun Preston, of Sand Lane, Breighton, has said that he will continue as a councillor.

Malcolm Bragg, UKBA assistant director, said: "Stopping the flow of money that has not been acquired legitimately is an important part of the work the UKBA carries out to protect our border.

"Anyone leaving or entering the UK with more than 1,000 in cash must provide evidence of the source, and intended use, of the money. If there is evidence that the money has not been earned legitimately they face having it confiscated."