A benefit cheat Labour councillor, who falsely protested her innocence when charged, has eventually resigned her seat five months after being convicted - potentially pocketing an extra £4,000-plus in allowances.
Keadean Rhoden, 24, illegally claimed housing benefit between 2007 and 2009 while a psychology student at London Metropolitan University and employed as as a cashier -making her first court appearance six weeks after taking the Southwark Council Lane Ward, Peckham seat in May 2010.
Rhoden, of Decima Street, Peckham vowed: "I am innocent. I will be pleading not guilty and will work vigorously to clear my name so I can get on with the job of serving the people who elected me."
She was convicted at Tower Bridge Magistrates' Court in November, last year and was sentenced to 200 hours community service work, but only resigned her seat yesterday.
Rhoden had been suspended from the Labour party and the party's council group, but was still entitled to an annual £10,000 allowance as a sitting councillor.
She turned up at only one of the fifteen public meetings she was expected to attend since October, 2010.
Southwark's Labour leader Peter John had urged her to quit since the conviction, but defended his party's selection procedure.
"I looked into it and I am not concerned about our vetting process," he said. "There are no questions we could have asked that would have brought this to light. I would have expected a Labour candidate to have raised any concerns they have of this nature."
Her profile on Southwark Council's website has been deleted.
Rhoden was previously a Prince's Trust Ambassador, ran a youth project in Bermondsey and stood for election, she claims, so the voice of young black women in the area could be heard.
"I live in Southwark where black and ethnic minority women are particularly under-represented in the council," she announced before winning her seat. "I want to see more women my age getting involved and putting a different perspective across from the younger generation.
"I also want to encourage more young women from minority backgrounds to get involved in making decisions. Many young people are not even aware of the decisions councils make on their behalf.
"By standing, I want to empower these people and make them realise they can be part of their community otherwise we become complacent and oblivious to changed happening all around us."
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