INDEX May 7, 1987
Councillor gets death threat over rates rise

ANOTHER London Labour councillor has received a death threat after left-wingers agreed a whopping rates rise.

Asian Amarjit Devgun of Waltham Forest conNeil. was sent a 'last will and testament in the post, bearing his full name and telephone number.

Police are already investigating a petrol bomb attack on the house of council leader Neil Gerrard and threats against the life of his deputy.

Thousands of demonstrators plan to march on Waltham Forest Town Hall tonight to protest over the newly-elected Labour administration's 62.2p rates rise.

Today Cllr Devgun said: "I have been sent an official will with my name on it, saying 'This is the last will and testament of Amarjit Devgun'.

"I see this as a threat against me. It shook the hell out of me and I have handed it to Chingford police.

"I believe there is a large element in the extreme right-wing organisations which has got involved in this campaign against the rates rise."

"There are five black councillors on the council and we were all racially abused when these people demonstrated outside the Town Hall last month."

*A council boss today dismissed an Asian protest march as 'mischief-making' after a mob of 200 converged on Tower Hamlets Town Hall.

Demonstrators planned to confront members of the Alliance-run authority's housing sub-committee over their hard line policy on homelessness.

Evening News May 7, 1987.
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