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Council accused of hounding inventor to his death by relatives after it made him bankrupt and sent in bailiffs over unpaid tax

• Peter Williams, 63, owed £70,000 and was bankrupt at time of his death
• Apprentice runner-up Syed Ahmed started a business selling his technology
• Inventor had appeared on television programme with his Vortex hand dryer
• He jumped in front of train on day he was due to be evicted by bailiffs
• Family's lawyer: 'Council says he was not vulnerable. We say he was.'

By John Stevens

PUBLISHED: 15:51, 3 June 2013 | UPDATED: 00:03, 4 June 2013

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Went bankrupt: Inventor Peter Williams jumped in front of a train after being pursued for council tax arrears by his local authority, an inquest heard

A renowned inventor threw himself in front of a train on the day he was due to be evicted from his house because of unpaid council tax.

Engineer Peter Williams, 63, who invented the world's most efficient hand dryer, was being pursued for 20 years of tax arrears and killed himself months before his invention received international recognition.

He initially owed £1,350 but by the time he was killed by a train at Biggleswade in February last year, the sum had risen to £70,000, including legal fees.

The court previously heard claims the council had 'hounded him death' but yesterday officials said they had 'spent years' trying to help him.

The engineer left notes for friends and family telling them he had 'had enough' and could not face losing his four-bedroom £200,000 home.

Yesterday Bedford Coroner's Court heard how Mr Williams, from Langford, Bedfordshire, fell ill with diabetes in 1993 and had become unable to work.

He was declared bankrupt in February 2007 and his finances were put in the hands of trustees.

He failed to pay his council tax for ten years and ran up the arrears and legal debts.

Mr Williams invented the Vortex hand dryer but was working for the company developing it unpaid and it was not until after his death that it was named the world's most efficient hand dryer by the Guinness Book of Records.

Deputy coroner Martin Oldham was read a statement from a former employee of Central Bedfordshire Council who had been dealing with Mr Williams over non-payment of his council tax since the mid-1990s.

James Tomlin said he was told by a GP in 2010 that 'Mr Williams was suffering from depression and the council's actions were not helping'.

Alarm: Police officer found two notes at Mr Willliams's house (above) which indicated that the bachelor, who suffered from mental problems and was diabetic, was going to take his life

But Mr Tomlin said he had met Mr Williams at his home to deliver paperwork and discuss his situation and had no concerns about his mental health.

'Brilliant man': At the time he killed himself, Mr Williams owed £70,000

Mr Williams informed the council that he had diabetes and subsequent ill health but failed to fill in any forms to see if he was eligible to claim council tax benefit, single person's allowance, or disability or unemployment benefits, the inquest heard.

He also did not attend court hearings that were to deal with his council tax debt, nor did he respond often to communication relating to bankruptcy petitions or his eviction.

Over the years Mr Williams made sporadic payments towards his debt but it was never enough to significantly reduce the amount he owed.

Council chief executive Richard Carr said the council had a legal obligation to make sure tax was paid and that bankruptcy procedures were 'very much a last resort'.

He added: 'I do not think it was the case that the system failed, I think every reasonable effort was made to enable Mr Williams to apply for the assistance he was eligible for.

'The onus is on Mr Williams to demonstrate that he does not have the ability to pay.

'The council made a concerted effort to receive from him details of those financial affairs and he declined to provide that information.'

The inquest continues.

PETER WILLIAMS' WORLD RECORD-BREAKING INVENTION

Peter Williams invented the technology behind the Vortex hand dryer, named the world's most efficient by the Guinness Book of Records

The Vortex hand dryer created using Peter Williams' technology holds the world record for being the most efficient hand dryer.

It beat off competition to win the title by drying four pairs of wet hands using just 30KJ of energy.

The dryer, which retails at around £300 a unit, is designed to save business owners money in the long term as it uses only 550W of power - a fraction of that used by traditional dryers.

Although a relatively new product, the Vortex EcoSmart dryer has already been installed by a number of UK businesses, including branches of McDonald's, Hastings Hotels and the University of East Anglia.

It is being marketed by SAVortex, a company owned by Syed Ahmed and set up with £20,000 of his money.

The dryer uses unique 'brushless bypass motor technology' which compresses and recycles heat.

Traditional dryers use carbon brushes or heat elements which use a lot of power.

The company behind the dryer says its product is also better than the modern 'hand-in' dryers as it does not cause water to collect in the bottom - a common cause of bacteria.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2335172/Peter-Williams-Council-accused-hounding-inventor-death-relatives-bankrupt-sent-bailiffs-unpaid-tax.html#ixzz2VCpeAFi1
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