40p Friday, February 15, 2013 SEN-eO2-S2 [M] Moorlands Final [M] www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk Established 1854 SECRET COUNCIL HANDOUT PLAN FOR WATERWORLD Man arrested in America over 1992 murders A FORMER Stoke-on-Trent man has been arrested in the U.S. on suspicion of two murders dating back more than 20 years. The 44-year-old was arrested in connection with the deaths of Marilyn Cook and her son Nicholas Cook, who died following a house fire at their home in Travers Street, Middleport, on April 9, 1992. Despite speaking to more than 5,000 people during an investigation, Staffordshire Police never made an arrest. The suspect will now be extradited to the UK, a process which is expected to take a number of months. Ms Cook, aged 40, and Nicholas, aged 16, lived at the Travers Street property with Steven Hillman, Ms Cook's partner. He survived the fire but suffered serious injuries. He has since died, but not as a result of the blaze. The results of the post- mortem examinations for Ms Cook and her son gave their cause of death as smoke inhalation. An inquest held at the time was told that the family had been under pressure to quit their home in the months leading up to the fire, after reportedly struggling with rent payments. The suspect, who was arrested on Tuesday, January 8, is to be extradited after detailed inquiries by Staffordshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service. Revealed: Deal to subsidise swimming sessions with taxpayers’ cash TRAGEDY: Marilyn Cook died after a house fire in 1992. BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] A SECRET deal to shut Dimensions splash pool was agreed between senior coun- cil officers and WaterWorld owner Mo Chaudry, confid- ential documents have revealed. The full paper trail expos- ing negotiations in emails and letters between Mr Chaudry and Stoke-on-Trent City Council over the abor- ted 2008 closure plans has finally been disclosed to The Sentinel. It reveals a council dir- ector confirmed in an email to Mr Chaudry that the Burslem splash pool would close and £50,000 in taxpay- ers’ cash would be used to run a pilot scheme offering ‘free’ access for school-age children to WaterWorld in Festival Park. The city council has repeatedly denied that it had struck a deal with the busi- nessman. In the email to Mr Chaudry, community ser- vices director Julie Seddon said: “Thanks for our meet- ing today. In summary, we agreed the following: Dimen- sions to close (Jan 08); run pilot to value of £50k for free access to WaterWorld for school age children.” Records of a Renew North Staffordshire meeting held four months before the Dimensions closure was even made public state: “City council to develop a swim- ming contract with Mo in anticipation of future swim- ming facility shortages.” Meetings between Mr Chaudry and the council were facilitated by then Elec- ted Mayor Mark Meredith, who is now a Labour cabinet member. He and Mr Chaudry, who saw Dimensions as a tax- payer-subsidised competitor to WaterWorld, worked together on the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership. Plans were at such an advanced stage that in early 2008 Mr Chaudry was in talks with the council over specific discounts at Water- World for city taxpayers and both parties had discussed announcing the scheme. But former council chief executive Steve Robinson later told Mr Chaudry no deal had been agreed, after Mr Meredith made the clos- ure plan public and faced a major backlash. Mr Robinson stated that the elected mayor, individual councillors and officers had no power to agree a deal without wider approval – prompting Mr Chaudry to threaten legal action. The council proposed to shut the pool to save £60,000 a year but withdrew the plans because it said the predicted savings could not be made. More than 7,000 residents had signed a petition against the closure. Mr Chaudry, Mr Meredith and senior councillor Roger Ibbs, who had been involved in the discussions, were later arrested on suspicion of committing various offences, but never charged. The council apologised to Mr Chaudry and paid him £21,850 to drop his legal threat in 2011, conceding simply that discussions had taken place. Mr Meredith said: “I am pleased the full story can now be told.” Mr Chaudry was unavailable for comment. The council was ordered to reveal the documents by an information rights tribunal. What do you think? Email us at [email protected] Confidential documents: See Pages 6 and 7 U-TURN: Our front page story reporting the pool would stay open in June, 2008. LOFT KEEN TO STAY AT VALE BACK PAGE 2 FOR 1 ENTRY AT www.thisisthesentinel.co.uk 32p Friday, June 6, 2008 First Edition ONLINE TODAY Our great sports U-turn as council realises £60k saving doesn’t exist U-turn again as schools won’t close GROOVY, BABY! BACK TO THE 60s BACK TO THE 60s PAGE 27 PAGE 27 SPLASH POOL WILL STAY OPEN NOVELLI COOKS UP A STORM SEE PAGE 6 C.J. Skelhorne Jewellers PAGE 20 ©LW CHEAPER THAN THE REST £1 NOW