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Albanian man jailed for returning to UK after deportation

News

An Albanian national has been sentenced to six months in prison after breaching a deportation order and possessing false identity documents. Edison Dautaj must also serve the remainder of a previous sentence for cocaine supply.

Suffolk Police's Sentinel South team arrested Dautaj on 30 June while driving in Ipswich.

He had previously been deported in May 2023 after serving part of a two-year sentence for supplying cocaine and holding fake ID.

Edison Dautaj
Edison Dautaj was arrested on 30 June while driving in IpswichSuffolk Police

What happened:

  • Dautaj presented officers with a false driving licence and address

  • Police discovered his true identity and previous convictions

  • He pleaded guilty to possessing a counterfeit identity document with intent and driving offences

The consequences:

  • Six months imprisonment

  • Nine-month driving ban

  • Recalled to prison to complete his earlier sentence for cocaine supply

What they're saying: Sentinel Sgt David Logan said: "This is the second time Suffolk Police have located Dautaj breaking the law in Suffolk. After serving part of his initial 28-month sentence, he was given a deportation order, which he has flagrantly ignored by returning to the UK illegally."

Logan added: "When stopping him for the second time we found he was once again using a fraudulent Bulgarian ID document, which we were able to evidence through working with the National Document Fraud Unit."

"I am pleased that Dautaj's attempts to fool the authorities has not worked and he has been recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence," Logan concluded.

Council set to award up to £5.3m to undisclosed town centre regeneration projects

News

Ipswich Borough Council's Executive is set to approve grants worth up to £5.3m to revitalise empty spaces in the town centre.

The big picture: An independent expert panel has selected five projects to receive funding from the Town Centre Regeneration Fund, part of the Ipswich Town Deal.

  • The chosen projects will initially receive small development grants to test feasibility and costs.

  • After this stage, the panel will consider awarding larger grants for project delivery.

  • The selected projects have still not been disclosed to the public.

  • £5m remains in the fund for the council to bring other key buildings back into use.

A photo of The Botanist, a bar in Ipswich
The Botanist was one project funded by the Towns Deal fundOliver Rouane-WilliamsIpswich.co.uk

What they're saying:

Councillor Neil MacDonald, Ipswich Borough Council Leader, said: "There are some very exciting projects being recommended by the expert panel and I look forward to being able to reveal them when further checks have been made on their viability."

David Ralph, the Town Deal and Ipswich Vision Board Chair, added: "There were 21 applications to the Regeneration Fund and the best five have been selected by the expert panel. I look forward to the projects coming to fruition and helping Ipswich to thrive."

Why it matters: The Towns Fund programme aims to significantly improve the Ipswich town centre, building on previous projects such as The Botanist, Suffolk New College, and the University.

What's next: The Executive will meet on Tuesday 10 September 2024 at 6pm to discuss the grants.

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