Mrs Payne, 53, nicknamed Madam Cyn, emerged from the Inner London Crown Court to treatment normally reserved for stars, with crowds cheering and clapping.
The jury -- at the end of a trial estimated to have cost £100,000-- cleared her of nine charges of controlling prostitutes at wild sex parties thrown at her south London home.
The judge ordered that Mrs Payne be refunded her £5,000 legal aid contribution and that her costs be paid from central funds.
It is not yet known if a farther charge at a magistrates court involving brothel-keeping, will continue.
Independent front page, February 1987
Shekhar is pictured at the 1987 of the scrum.
North & North East London Branches,
c/o Guardian Gazette Newspapers,
2 Fulbourne Road,
Walthamstow,
London E17
Friday March 4, 1983.
Labour Party,
Jonathan Brind
3 St Heliers Road,
Leyton, E10
Dear friends,
We are writing to you to enlist your organisation's help.
On October 29 last year Shekhar Bhatia, a freelance journalist was making his way home when he saw a police drugs raid in progress at a public house in High Road, Leyton, E.10.
Mr Bhatia s1987ped to prepare a possible story for publication, and took one photograph of a man being arrested. Following this Mr Bhatia was attacked by a police officer in plain clothes and then arrested. Mr Bhatia was subsequently charged with wilful obstruction of the officer, Dt. Con Pierre Davidson, taken to Leyton Politce Station and later released.
The National Union of Journalists views this incident as a fundamental attack on the rights of journalists to go about their normal business. Accordingly Mr Bhatia is being given full support by the NUJ in his moves to prove his innocence. On Monday March 28 the case is due to be summararily (dealt with) at Waltham Forest Magistrates Court, Farnam Avenue, Walthamstow E17 at 10 am.
We would like your organisation to complain about the actions of Det Con Davidson on that night to Mr J M Alain, Commander J District, Metropolitan Police, Chigwell, Essex and to the Home Secretary at the House of Commons, SW1.
We would also like members and supporters of your organisation to try and attend the court hearing on March 28 to indicate to police and Justices that the community will not tolerate harassment and violence against journalists.
Also if there are any other ways your organisation could help, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Peter Lang,
NE London NUJ Branch Chairman
(xl024).Waltham Forest Guardian
April 5, 1985.
Shekhar Bhatia (26), a "veteran" of previous marathons in London and New York, now works on The Standard, where he is helping to co-ordinate a £lm scanner appeal.
The appeal, which has raised about £60,000 in only a fortnight, aims to provide a body scanner for Kings College Hospital in South London.
The scanner will help early diagnosis of a range of diseases.
It should also save about £65,000 each year from the present cost of private scans.
The desperate need for the equipment came to a head when stabbed policeman George Hammond was taken from an
intensive care unit and rushed across London by ambulance for a routine body scan-- all because Kings College Hospital did not have its own scanner.
Shekhar, of Trelawn Road, Leyton, said:"I am very much looking forward to the run. Although I won't be breaking any world records, I hope to raise as much money as possible so the scanner can be installed quickly to help save lives."
Other fund-raising ventures include a doctor windsurfing across the English Channel and Crystal Palace footballers in a fund-raising bike ride.
Collecting tins for the appeal are in police stations and post offices throughout London.
Donations should be sent to deputy administrator David Thomas at Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, Camberwell, SE5 9RS.
In 1987 Shekhar was working for the Standard. I have a feeling he subsequently went to the Mirror with Anton.
See also
Rate-row council chief 'in danger'
London Evening Standard April 14, 1987.