Ealing Council spent over £65,000 replacing missing and stolen office equipment. Who is responsible?

In April 2024 a concrete case came to light that still surfaces in discussions about how money is managed in Ealing. A leaked internal email from the Council’s ICT department showed that more than £65,000 had been spent in just six months replacing computer and office equipment that had gone missing or been stolen.

The email was made public by the Liberal Democrats and the story was reported by The Standard among others. Staff expressed frustration and equipment continued to disappear even after the money had been spent. The opposition called it a clear example of incompetence and waste of taxpayers’ money.

Clear public answers are still missing on who was responsible for the security of the equipment, whether anyone faced disciplinary action, and whether a full internal investigation was carried out. Residents pay council tax and are entitled to expect that basic Council property is protected. £65,000 is a concrete sum that could have gone on street cleaning, social care or parks.

Source: April 2024 case, leaked email released by the Liberal Democrats, reported by The Standard.