Tigers For Kids Charity

[Winco]

Look who’s in the news….again!!!!
http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/news/s/1080301_sick_kids_plane_scheme_probed
I'm sure members will remember this also…….
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/180232-sky-marshals-samra.html (http://www.pprune.org/spectators-balcony-spotters-corner/180232-sky-marshals-samra.html)
Does anyone know if it's the same chap?? Bit of a co-incidence?!

[BackPacker]

I am on the side involved with an organization that does similar charity flights. I know that they budget 100 euros for each flight. This is for a flight duration of about 30-40 minutes, which is about the point where the novelty wears off for a typical child.

According to the article his charity has been operating since 1998, has 60.000 UKP running costs per year, and has flown about 500 children so far.

That's over a 1000 UKP per child. Something doesn't add up.

[Peter Sound]

It was only a matter of time before Mr Matthews little scam was brought to light. And the way the charity is loosing friends at various airfields around the country, they fay find their biggest restriction isn't the lack of money, but the lack of airfields willing to accommodate them. I suspect we'll see a lot more come out in the wash over the coming weeks.

Indecently... http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/323151-legal-aspects-withholding-tech-logs.html

Unfortunately, a lot of the posts were removed or restricted be the mods, but perhaps the above link shows why the charity was reliant on using a firefly rather than the trade make Tiger Moth for a while!

[Grob Driver]

The whole charity is a scam... Thats why they spend their time flitting between airfields. Because no sooner do they arrive, they're asked to leave... Wickenby, Full Sutton... I wonder how long before the people at Barton realise what they have let themselves in for?

The numbers just dont add up. But then as Winco has pointed out, some of the people behind this 'charity' have quite a history, and 'skymarshals' is only the tip of the iceberg!

[Winco]

I heard another whisper last night from someone at Barton that the aircraft has now been effectively 'impounded' by the CAA - anyone at Barton care to comment or tell us what has happened to it?

The personalities in this matter are well known to lots of people, and not always for the right reasons. Mr Matthews has an interseting past, not least of all his little venture as outlined above in the 'Sky Marshall' fisaco.

If you do enough digging, you'll see that the trustees of this 'charity' are (or at least were) no more than his mother, his brother's girlfriend and I understand his uncle also - a right little family affair!

I have also heard that he is being investigated for flying the Tiger Moth, with children passengers whilst it is an 'unairworthy' condition. I very much hope the CAA withdraw his licence, things of this nature must not be allowed to continue under any circumstances.

And £60,000 a year! I wonder where it all goes?

Peter, thanks for the link - I was 99% certain that this was the same chap, obviously you think the same!

Well done to the Rochdale press for publicising things and shame on the Lib Dem MP for promoting it and not having the courage to remove the item from his web site:

Tigers for Kids (Winning for Rochdale with Nick Clegg's record breaking Lib Dems) (http://rochdalelibdems.org.uk/news/000550/tigers_for_kids.html)

The Winco

[Fiona Mont]

Adrian Matthews was arrested with me on 6th Sept 1999 on suspicion of fraud, an allegation that has affected my life with deep impact.

It is with deep regret that I ever encountered Mr Matthews and his charming family and my condolences to anyone else who has come into contact with him and had their lives too affected by him.

I am astonished to this day that Detective Constable Steve Skerrett failed to investigate Mr Matthews any further than he did, instead he chose to persecute myself and my family for over three years via the press and allowed Mr Matthews to continue and conduct his life in a manner to which he had become accustomed.

I have now broken my silence of honour as a mother of two at my utter disgust that he has been financing his aviation pleasure at the expense of sick and dying children.

My abject apologies for my silence on the matter over these years but I do not now consider this grassing, it is my duty to point out what he is. A ****.

[flyantb]

Interested in this one......do you have any links for the 6th of Sept 1999 saga?

regards

[Phil Space]

Very brave of you Fiona to comment on this story. What did Mr Mathews do?

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3045640247_c77408e0b7.jpg?v=0
Adrian Mathews on the right of picture

Revealed: caravan hideout of fugitive dubbed 'the cat' | UK news | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/sep/12/ukcrime.tracymcveigh)
Fiona Mont story GPS 01 Gone Pear Shaped. (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1652858488546812679)

[Phil Space]

I hope he has a commercial licence:ok:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3139/3045562106_d4a914ab0f.jpg?v=0

Feel good giving
Carmel Thomason
23/11/2007

IF you are looking for a gift to remember, a new experience can be the perfect choice.

And you'll find it hard to beat a flight in an open-cockpit flying classic vintage de Havilland Tiger Moth.

Arguably the most famous bi-plane trainer of its era, it's still in much demand.

Pilot Adrian Matthews, who owns one of the original 1944 aircraft, regularly takes groups of youngsters from The Christie hospital on adventure flights via the charity Tigers For Kids.

To fund this Adrian raises money by renting his plane to film companies – it was used as the basis for the flying phoenix in Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix – as well as offering private rides.

Movie stars Harrison Ford and John Travolta are among those who have taken up the offer.

So, if you want to give your loved one the film star treatment this year, you can arrange a Tiger Moth adventure at Lincoln airfield for a reserve of £350 per half hour flight.

Adrian says: “This is no fairground ride, it's the real thing and it's dual controlled so once you get up there you can have a go flying it yourself.

"You wouldn't believe the way it makes the kids buzz, it's fantastic. Currently we take youngsters from Christie Hospital, St James in Leeds, Clare's House Hospice in Birkenhead, Sheffield, Nottingham, Birmingham Children's Hospitals and Great Ormond Street. We really do make a difference to these kids lives, it's like injecting them with life and motivation.”

[Grob Driver]

The saddest part of all is that the idea of the charity is indeed a good one. But using sick kids as a cover for fraud is nothing but disgusting. I despise this man. It was only a mater of time before this came out... It couldn't have come soon enough.

[Winco]

Wow,

What a big can of ugly worms this is turning into!

I have managed to get hold of one of Matthews' leaflets telling you everything about this charity. In it he claims to have had bone cancer when he was 26 and spent 'many months in hospital' and whilst there he 'came up with the idea of Tigers for Kids' Yeh right, I'm sure you did.

Interesting to note that, apart from the £60k he was trying to raise for annual running costs for his Tiger, he was also trying to raise £135,000 whilst he was at Wickenby because............'we require a specialised reception area with disabled toilets'

£135,00 for a reception area and some toilets?? What did they have, gold plated toilet seats and taps?

[airborne_artist]

I hope he has a commercial licence

Might need some other "bits of paper" too :ok:

The man sounds like a Walt of the first order, as well as some other names we won't use here. Perhaps with some input from Ppruners he can be outed for good.

[Fg Off Max Stout]

I presume if he is charging people for rides in the Tiger Moth he will need a CPL, and AoC, a public transport C of A etc. I have a sneaking suspiscion that his paperwork won't bear close examination. Also, looks like he is wearing RAF wings on his flying suit in that picture. I do hope he is properly entitled but I suspect not!

[S-Works]

Also, looks like he is wearing RAF wings on his flying suit in that picture. I do hope he is properly entitled but I suspect not!

No those are wannabee wings available from a variety of sources custom embroidered to your requirements. I believe the LAA and the BMAA offer such a service amongst a variety of others.

The man sounds like a Walt of the first order, as well as some other names we won't use here. Perhaps with some input from Ppruners he can be outed for good.

Ah another PPrune witch hunt........ :ugh:

For reference = Don't know the bloke, never met him, no idea of the history etc.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

[Fiona Mont]

Witch hunt. If you want to know about witch hunts you should look my case up on wikipedia, that was a fine three year witch hunt and right at the front of the line was Adrian Matthews stirring the **** as best he could.

After having had a baby on the run, given birth under very difficult circumstances, I was arrested in Spain on a fake extradition warrant by a bent cop the daily mail and Mr Matthews was there, I saw him, fake beard or no I saw him standing in the background giggling and pointing with delight at my distress and the distress of my husband and baby daughter. Seems he likes to take the piss out of children.

If anyone needs a lecture on casting the first stone it's him. I am not perfect as I have declared again and again all over the internet. And I'm not casting the first stone, Adrian did that to me years ago and I took my public stoning, now it's his turn.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Well Tigers for Kids isn't registered as a charity, has no number and even the website says "pending".

You have to have this number and be registered BEFORE you can start. I think I'll be making a few calls about this toerag next week.

Scam, scammity, scam , scam, scam.

[S-Works]

Fiona, I am sorry for your situation. You do indeed seem to have had a hard time. My comment however was not aimed at you. It was aimed at those who think starting a witch hunt on a stranger via an anonymous internet forum is acceptable.

You have been on the receiving end of a witch hunt I know, but I have to ask myself if participating in one to extract revenge may just lower yourself to his level and strip you off the dignity you have clearly displayed to this point.

Just my thoughts having seen the way things tend to work on here.

[BRL]

Ah another PPRuNe witch hunt........

Not as good as the blokes over at the Flyer Forums, I see they are quite good at this kind of thing. :)

[clareprop]

Fiona,

I heard your piece on Radio 4 the other day and at the time, I formed two opinions:

1. You were guilty as charged and managed to get away with a con by running away and protesting from a distance.

or...

2. This was a horrifying example of a "stalking" police officer who, for whatever reason, had a vendetta against you.

Quite honestly, I don't know what to think. However, your comments here lead me to believe you know a lot more about this man than we do.

PPrune gets it wrong from time to time but when it comes to righting wrongs or outing charlatans, it's quite successful.

Perhaps your involvement, if not breaching any libel laws, could tick both boxes?

[Say again s l o w l y]

Bose, this isn't a stranger, but someone with a well known and documented past. Witch hunt. If this is a scam. Which I believe it is, then I'm after him.

Anyone who uses sick kids or cancer to feather their own nest deserves everything they are going to get.

[S-Works]

Indeed SAS.

I just wondered who appointed anonymous posters on an internet forum judge jury an executioner.

I am sure that this person has wronged many people in the past and seems to be wronging people in the present but I am not inclined to participate in the vigilante action.

Those who are please feel free to carry on but as I said those without sin cast the first stone. Experience has shown that these things all to easily slide out of control.

[Say again s l o w l y]

I'm in the process of finding out if this is a scam. It's not hard to do. If it is true.................Then I'll personally chase him with a burning torch and pitchfork.

[clareprop]

I agree with bose-x and thought carefully before posting.

However, there does seem to be quite a bit of a history with this person and the note from Fiona, if indeed it is she, is very interesting given her story which I heard by chance on Radio 4 a week or so ago.

The case I am thinking of is the so called "Guvnor" episode where PPrune came to the fore with flying colours.

[Fiona Mont]

Wise words, and you are right. The fact is that I haven't spoken to Adrian in nearly ten years so I have no idea what the exact allegations are in this instance or even if there is any substance.

But it's really, really hard when someone has caused so much hurt and pain to restrain oneself from hitting out. I think I've done well for nearly ten years to keep my word to a man who went out of his way to make my life a misery and punnish me just for not wanting to be with him and choosing someone else.

I took a lot back in 99, believe me or not, I've taken a lot for the last nine years to protect other people, but as I said, I'm not perfect so who am I to judge, I'll leave that job to the Lord God. So whatever **** hits the fan will be devine judgement and not mine. I know what I've been guilty of in my life and so does God, he sees everything, he knows what we have all done and he will judge.

Praise the Lord.

[S-Works]

Once in awhile my faith in human nature is restored. May the sun shine on you always Fiona.

[Fly-by-Wife]

In the interest of balance, the last paragraph of the newspaper report is interesting:

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen said: "I have been aware of a number of allegations made against this organisation. I appreciate that these are currently under investigation and wouldn’t want to comment any further until the results of this are known.

What I will say is that when I attended a recent event organised by the organisation, it was quite clear that the opportunity to fly was greatly appreciated by the terminally-ill children. I hope that this situation will be resolved as soon as possible so that children can continue to enjoy this unique opportunity."

On the basis of "innocent until proven guilty", it is not unreasonable for Mr. Rowen to leave the article on his website unless and until any wrongdoing is substantiated, as he says:

"I was able to discuss the difference that this flight makes with the parents of these young people. Despite only being for about 25 minutes, this is a memory that many of these young people hold for a lifetime."

Ends don't justify means, but this is maybe not as black and white as some are perhaps viewing it.

FBW

[Say again s l o w l y]

For scams to work there has to be some basis in reality. Look at Archer and the missing Kurdish millions.

They may well be providing flights, but if the money raised is only partly going to the front end, then it is very, very dodgy.

There are very strict rules about charities and their funding. So far from my limited sleuthing, this doesn't seem to fulfil many if any of them.

[Winco]

Fly-by-Wire

I e-mailed Paul Rowen several weeks ago about this and pointed out to him that he may wish to remove the page on his website while Mr Matthews was being investigated by the Charities Commission. He declined to do so, stating that until he had some 'concrete proof' the article would stay.

I have asked him repeatedly since then to remove the article but he has declined. Even now, with the press disclosure, he still will not remove it, and that causes me concern.

Here we have an individual, with a criminal past running a so-called charity. That charity gets struck off, twice! for not submitting accounts, and yet he claims it is still registered, on his website and on his literature.

He even convinces an MP that he is bona fide, and as a result, that MP actively encourages the public to give the guy money! Now, even on your own basis of "innocent until proven guilty", surely you would expect the local MP to say 'well, lets just hold fire for a bit on the donations people, just until this is all cleared up'. Instead, he refuses to acknowledge the facts and continues to support him; shamefull. I trust that the good people of Rochdale will remember that when the next election comes around.

Fiona, having read your story and knowing this individual, you have my deepest sympathy and utmost admiration. Well done!

bose-x
You don't need to be a rocket scientist to take a look into Matthews' past; This has got nothing whatsoever to do with a witch hunt - we know who the guilty person is! We don't need to go hunting for him!! Thus, your comment about 'being without sin and casting the first stone' is both irrelevant and incorrect Sir.

The Winco

ps anyone at Barton care to comment yet??

[Fiona Mont]

As I said before I don't know the in's and out's of these allegations but I will tell you some of what I know:

Adrian Matthews was convicted of £5,000,000 fraud in 1994 on 8 indictments

Sentenced at Liverpool Crown court even though the offence was committed in Greater Manchester.

Sentenced to 3 years in prison - released from Sudbury

Court case number T941572

His co-accused (who I do not know personally) were sentenced to higher sentences.

It is rare for cases to be transfered from the area of the crime, this usually happens when we in the trade call it 'QE'.

I have no further details on this conviction and cannot comment on the details any more than I can on the details of present allegations.

However I would like to add that there is probably more to this story than meets the eye.

At the time of mine and Adrian's arrest in 1999 the officer in charge of the case, Steve Skerrett, seemed more interested in me and what I was wearing than in Adrian and his £5 million pound conviction, which always astonished me, perhaps QE's get some preferential treatment, I really don't know.

I can only guess and draw my own conclusions. Further than that I cannot say.

[airborne_artist]

A check of the tech logs is suggested. I was told that the aircraft has not been serviceable long enough to have done as many as 10% of the 500 flights claimed.

[Fly-by-Wife]

Winco,

I've done a little digging, and come up with this old contact address for Tigers for Kids from a google cache (http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:lyjLamNordsJ:www.rentadateforcharity.com/tigersforkids.htm+%22Tigers+for+Kids%22+charity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=uk)*:

Tigers for Kids
15 St John's Court
Rochdale
Lancashire
OL16 5TF
Charity Registration No 1087253


Now that address is the same as the one in the SAMRA skymarshals thread, where the following information from Companies House was provided:

Fellow directors/secretary of EXCEL LOCUMS LIMITED:
Co Secretary: ADRIAN JOHN MATTHEWS
Nationality: BRITISH
Date Appointed: 11/01/2000
Date of Birth: 22/01/1965
Home Address: 15 ST JOHNS COURT, ROCHDALE, LANCASHIRE, OL16 5TF
Occupation: PILOT

Who was in turn previously a director of 03478287 SECURITY LEISURE LIMITED, dissolved 24/04/2001, and
DREAM VENTURES LIMITED, 15 SAINT JOHNS COURT, ROCHDALE, LANCASHIRE, OL16 5TF

Companies House records note that a ADRIAN JOHN MATTHEWS
(22/01/1965) of OL16 5TF was disqualified from being a director on 26/02/2003 until 25/02/2008 (60 months) under CCDD Section CDDA 1986 S6.

It would rather explain why

The International Tiger Moth Charitable Trust, run by 43-year-old Adrian Matthews, of Milnrow Road, Newbold, was struck off the register of limited companies at Companies House in June 2004 for failing to submit its accounts.

Because the director was disqualified.

To be accurate, the Charities Commission only removed it once, in July of this year. And the Tigers for Kids website does say that the Registered Charity number is "pending" (whatever that means), while Mr Matthews said he:

was in the process of re-registering with the Charity Commission.

On the basis of "innocent until proven guilty", Mr Rowen is entitled to continue to publicise the positive aspects of Tigers for Kids that he has seen - the fact that an investigation is underway does not in itself mean that there are charges to answer, nor does the fact that the existence of that investigation has been reported in a newspaper make it somehow any more than an investigation.

However, given the increasing amount of information that has come to light about Tigers for Kids and those running it - even here on PPRuNe - Mr Rowen might indeed consider it prudent to distance himself from Tigers for Kids sooner rather than later, for the good of his electorate - as you say:

to say "well, lets just hold fire for a bit on the donations people".

FBW

* This is Google's cache of http://www.rentadateforcharity.com/tigersforkids.htm. It is a snapshot of the page as it appeared on 18 Oct 2008 11:31:05 GMT.

[Winco]

Fly-by-Wife

No, sorry, but you are wrong.
It was struck off twice, and on both occasions for NOT submitting accounts.

[Fly-by-Wife]

Winco,

It looks as if you are simply mixing up the company with the charity (Companies House vs. Charities Commission Register. I'm referring to the Charities Commission website, where it states about the charity:

1087253 - INTERNATIONAL TIGER MOTH CHARITABLE TRUST - REMOVED CHARITY

Other names: TIGERS FOR KIDS (Working Name )

Governing document: MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED ON 25TH AUGUST 2000

Date registered: 29 June 2001

Date removed: 16 July 2008

Removal reason: CEASED TO EXIST

Now the company was dissolved in 2004 - from the Companies House website:

Name & Registered Office:
THE INTERNATIONAL TIGER MOTH CHARITABLE TRUST
50 BROADWAY
WESTMINSTER
LONDON
SW1H 0BL
Company No. 04059581

Status: Dissolved 15/06/2004
Date of Incorporation: 25/08/2000

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Accounting Reference Date: 31/08
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due:
Last Return Made Up To: 25/08/2002

It is clear that the Company was dissolved ONCE in 2004, and as a result the Charitable Status was removed ONCE, in 2008.

FBW

[Say again s l o w l y]

Still as hooky as hooky thing though!

[sleepy hole]

Why can somebody with a criminal past run a charity?
I believe he has gotten away with his appalling behaviour for far too long.

Did he ever have cancer like he claimed?
He told me he was in the RAF. Was he?

I know he went to prison on 4th November 1991 for burning down his Mothers chip shop in Rochdale. He was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court. (Crime ref. T199129530). Brian Matthews, his brother and Lana Dawn Matthews, his sister were also in court for 'doing acts tending and intending to pervert the course of public justice. It seems they are a close family in crime and all!

The lowest form of crime to me though is using terminally ill children and their families to satisfy his own needs and making money out of them!!

Surely the childrens hospitals need to be warned! The police need to be brought in and he needs to be arrested! Again!

[Say again s l o w l y]

From a couple of messages and e-mails I've received this evening. It seems things are in hand. Good work!

[Winco]

Well it hit the Manchester press last night:

Riddle of charity cash plea - News - Manchester Evening News (http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1081029_riddle_of_charity_cash_plea)

and guess who was there telling everyone it was all a big mistake? Yes, good old Brian Matthews..........the brother! Nothing from Adrian of course, he's gone deep and silent (like he usually does I'm told)

PPruners will remember good old Brian from the Sky Marshall fiasco (my first post on this subject) I do find it bizarre that an opthalmic (sp?) specialist would get involved in such dodgy dealings. I know blood is thicker than water, but you just wouldn't expect a professional person to put his career at risk with such matters.

Sleepy Hole, welcome to this forum. I'm sure your comments about getting in touch with the hospitals will be taken up by someone, maybe I'll do it on monday. Maybe, if the rumours about the CAA are correct, they will put out a statement to all of the childrens hospitals involved in this that they should not be allowing their patients to fly with him.

I see that we can now add arson to the list of activities for Matthews. I wonder what excuse brother Brian will come up for that? Maybe he torched the wrong chip shop?? or maybe he just accidently dropped the match into the can of petrol he happened to be carrying at the time by accident.

There is a lot more of this guys history to come out yet I fear!

The Winco

[rotorboater]

Well done guys, you have hounded the guy down - but now who is going to take the kids flying, they are the ones who have lost out.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Hopefully a legitimate charity. Apart from the obvious days when press and MP's have been there, how many flights do you think this chap has actually flown?

[sleepy hole]

I think anybody who has had the unfortunate experience of meeting Adrian Matthews has lost out!!
In my opinion, he hasn't got one decent bone in his body. He is a cruel man. Manipulative and feelingless.
The hospitals and hospices provide these gorgeous courageous children with fantastic day trips out all over the country, and may it continue to stay that way. May they never cross paths with the fraudulent low life criminal that Adrian Matthews is!
Now, don't get me wrong, he might be an amazing pilot but these are the facts:
1. His 'so called' registered charity isn't registered!
2. He went to prison for arson!
3. He went to prison for fraud!
4. He let Fiona Mont take all the blame for a crime he was heavily involved
in!
5. He is currently under investigation for a fraudulent act he committed in
2007.

WOULD YOU WANT YOUR CHILD ANYWHERE NEAR HIM?

I know I wouldn't! I am just sorry I have to express my anger and frustration on this forum over a man that should have been stopped many years ago.

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

To Rotorboater and anyone interested in flying sick children, you might like to look in to Starlight Days (at Popham) and the Burned Children’s Club flying days (at Bourn).

I appreciate that both these locations are to the south of the country. There may be something similar further north.

Both are excellent days flying, but be warned, they do bring a lump to the throat.

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

[Grob Driver]

Whiskey Kilo... Thanks for that. Can I also add that the wheels are in motion to set up a charity in Lincolnshire and I've been told that there will be an announcement in the coming weeks.

[Say again s l o w l y]

A Tiger Moth in a museum? What a horrid thought.

[Winco]

Skyhawk Pilot

That's a pretty bold statement for someone making his pprune debut!

You clearly have little of no knowledge about aircraft if you feel that such a gracious old lady should be kept in a museum.

Yes, you could take three up in any of the spamcans, but let's be honest - it's not quite the same as a trip in a vintage Tiger Moth, Auster or even a Chipunk is it? And how would those in the back get to fly it? hmmm

Oh, and by the way, they are called CHILDREN Sir!

[hoodie]

It might not be a Tiger Moth anyway (and by-the-by I agree, Tigers should be in the air, not a cage).

There's a video on the Manchester Evening News link in Winco's post #38, which shows the flights being conducted in a T67.

[hotcloud]

Welcome to the forum Skyhawk Pilot, I can see you meant well, I must admit when I was young being in the air was fantastic for me, and I would not have cared if it was C150 or a Tiger Moth.

However many pilots on this forum have a great affinity for the good old Tiger Moth, must admit does not do too much for me, but each to their own. :)

[Grob Driver]

Hoodie - Go back and read Peter's post (3rd post) and you'll see why he's using the T67 and not he Tiger. It's not through choice!

I have to say, while the aircraft choice isn't the most important thing, the Children are sick, and it's no about loading 3 at a time into a Cessna... It's about giving them some one to one quality time.

[hoodie]

No need to reread - I'm aware. Simply clarifying, given others' posts.

[Say again s l o w l y]

What are you blathering on about? Do you know anything about flying and aircraft?

How on earth do you work out that this shyster is a good pilot?

[Fiona Mont]

She was called Huffy, G-AHUF.

Not my thing, I don't actually like flying, I'm frightened of flying, more so for having hung out with pilots down at Shoreham and listening to the details of what can go wrong.

It was never my world and never my thing but I understood and saw the passion in their talk and their hearts. Rivalry about fixed wing or rotary, tail draggers or nose wheel. Most of them were skint, most scraped what they could together and flew an hour maybe two a month if they were lucky. The rest of the time they were in the bar chatting endlessly about their experiences and opinions.

But all the time I sat and listened to them I wondered how many of them had really ever felt complete and utter depravation, or even experience starvation or poverty, how lucky they all were to have the luxury to sit and complain about so many trivial things.

One night down the bar there were a load of pilots and others slating the character of someone who'd been in the newspapers 'He did it all right' 'Serves him right, he gets what he deserves.'. This was before my departure, before my arrest. I told them all not to judge and not to believe what they read in the newspapers about someone. I somewhat silenced the bar and I could see they didn't have a clue.

I don't like Adrian, he owes me several apologies and one big fat favour. But he told me he had cancer and the fear of his life being shortened may have made him do things he wouldn't have ordinarily, I have to give him that.

Those kids would probably give anything to have a go in anything, probably love to have a go with a top of the range remote control aeroplane and here you all are bickering about what's better, tail wheel or nose, well as a non-aviator I've heard it all before. You are all so lucky, so, so lucky to have the chance to have a hobby that you love that is so elite whatever the aircraft, could you not unite and share it for once.

When my husband agreed to run away with me he knew that he would be giving up aviation, his flying club, and so he did and I am so proud of him for having done that in the name of love. I wish I had the money to pay for him to fly again but I don't, or find a way to pay him back for all that he has sacrificed for me, but I can't. He says he's not bothered but I still feel bad about it.

Whatever kind of **** Adrian is he let them go up in Huffy, how many others on here will now offer their planes for use to those kids.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Sorry Fiona but Bollox. I've just finished a year of chemo and the "fear" of having cancer never, ever made me do anything dodgy or even want to. Nor has it done that to any of the peope I know who have fought or are fighting cancer. Your outlook may change but not your personality. If you are honest before you are diagnosed, then you'll be honest afterwards.

If I want to argue with someone on an aviation website about a daft statement, then I will.
I don't see any argument about tailwheel Vs. nosewheel, just someone making an idiotic statement and being challenged on it.

Back to Matthews, he may have taken kids up in his aircraft, but what was the real purpose? Cover for nefarious activities? More than likely.

If that is so, then may he rot. Taking advantage of people's goodwill and generosity on an emotive issue such as terminally ill children is the lowest of low acts.

Tell us again Fiona, why is it you ran off instead of facing the music and clearing your name? The old phrase, no smoke without fire comes to mind.
Have you ever offered to reimburse the coastguard after you legged it after faking your own suicide?

[Fiona Mont]

There was no air sea rescue as Audrey Gillion of the MCRA can tell you if you like to email her. That's exactly what I mean about believing what the media have to say.

I am no fan of Adrian's, I don't like him, I have issues with him. And I am sorry you've been ill, I really am, but that's not my fault either.

Attack me if you like, I'm used to it, I've been attacked and attacked, called every name under the sun. Been called a stuck up bitch who needs more money or in other cases a scummy gypsy by some, a lazy bitch by other regardless of the fact that I do and have worked like a bastard.

You are being rude and agressive in your response to me which I think is uncalled for. I have done nothing to you. I'm trying to be level headed and put some perspective in, as I understand it some kids did go up in the plane and thats something. Putting Adrian's situation aside wouldn't it be nice if others could offer their planes.

If you think that the 'hang him and burn him' approach will work then you're wrong. Hate only breeds hate.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Not sure how you could be responsible for me getting ill, but nevermind. I blame no body or thing for me having been ill. That's just how it is sometimes.

Don't construe my comments as a hugely personal attack, however, you do have a murky past and your actions of running away instead of fighting your corner don't exactly show you in the best light do they? Have any of my comments been untrue?

If you had been cleared in court, then I would have no trouble believing that you are who and what you claim to be, but all there is, is the press reports and then your side of the story.

Coming from a position of neutrality (seeing as I've never heard of you and couldn't really care less) and giving due regard to the often appalling standard of journalism in this country, your actions still smack of someone with something to hide. Faking suicide (I mention nothing about helicopters, they aren't the only cost involved when searching for someone) and then legging it whilst on bail are a bit "suspicious".

I'm not here to pass judgement on you, but as for a hang him and burn him approach to Matthews. Nowt wrong with that if he's guilty of what I think he is.
In fact there are many people sharpening their pitchforks and dipping their torches in pitch as we type.

He may have taken some kids up flying, but if it was done to extort money using sick children as a cover then................... Let's just say I wouldn't oppose it if the death penalty was brought back in for just one case.

There is no "perspective" in a case such as this. It is too emotive and the evidence gathered so far points firmly in one direction only.

There are many charities and people who do offer the use of their machines for no charge whatsoever (I have done it on a a fair few occasions), they don't even ask for fuel or other costs, unlike TigersforKids, shysters make offering your time and aircraft more difficult by forcing more regulation and making people suspicious.

There are other issues such as the legality of whether he is even licenced to be able to do this, insurance, CRB checks etc. Do you reckon Matthews would pass a CRB check needed for working with kids or vulnerable adults and does he have the appropriate insurances.............? Mind you, who would be checking the CRB certificate even if he got one?

If it is legitimate, then I would applaud anyone who is involved.

[Fiona Mont]

I'm not sticking up for him and you make many valid points about it. But I've been on the receiving end of witch hunts myself and I just thought I should point that out.

Much as it sticks in my throat he is innocent until proved guilty. There are usually reasons behind peoples behaviour, those reasons are often complicated and without knowing every detail about what a person has lived through it is impossible to understand their motivation.

You say you are not here to judge me but you do. You choose to believe what the papers said, papers that were fed with lies by Skerrett and Matthews. I have every reason to hate Adrian and yet as a Christian I am trying to find it within myself to forgive him and try to come to terms with my own anger. God give me strength.

And at least I post in my own name and not as an annonymous entity.

[S-Works]

If you think that the 'hang him and burn him' approach will work then you're wrong. Hate only breeds hate.

Wise words indeed. I said the same thing at the start of this. I don't agree or condone on the past of the individual, but I think breeding HATE which seems to happen all to often on PPRUNE is wrong and just lowers people to the very level they wish ti vilify.......

[leafsandbranches]

Say again s l o w l y (http://www.pprune.org/members/14270-say-again-s-l-o-w-l-y) - you're an idiot - you don't even know this guy ! Everything you have cooked up and stirred up at this point is based on conjecture - who the hell are you to judge anyway?. What if it isn't a scam?, can you see the damage you're doing ?!

Where's your evidence? If you're bold enough to come forward with any evidence about this then let us know about it - THEN we can start to 'sharpen out pitch forks' as you so nicely put it.

As Fiona so rightly says, it's easy to sit behind the security of your keyboard an monitor as an anonymous entity - I smell 'bully'

[Winco]

Skyhawk Pilot

You are now begining to sound a bit like AM's brother!..........oh oh, you're not are you ?

I wouldn't question his flying ability (although others would) and after all, he flies that Tiger with a Gypsy engine it, something you think will kill him and all other Gypsy users aswell.

But how do you know he is a damned good pilot? What is your connection with him and how do you know him well enough to form that opinion of his aviating skills?

Come on Skyhawk Pilot, let us in on your little secret, pleeeease!!

[Peter Sound]

bose-x I'm sorry but I cant agree with you.

I have seen first hand how Mr Matthews runs his charity, and it is down right disgusting. I dont think it's unreasonable to say that I hate someone who used some of the most vulnerable people in the world as a cover for their own scam. People have donated huge sums of money to the 'charity' (Believe me... I know!!!!) and it hasn't gone where it was supposed to go. Indeed, it's simply been used to line the pockets of the Matthews family. It's down right disgusting, inexcusable, and I hate him for that. If you think that lowers me to the same level as him, then you are VERY much mistaken.

What was it you said? "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"... I tell you what, why dont you have an association with him for a few months, and then come back here and tell us all what stone you cast.

Believe me, the man is nothing but trouble... In it purely for his own gain. He's addicted to attention... It's never about the Children... It's always about him, and what a great pilot he his.

[airborne_artist]

You'd imagine that despite the charitable nature of the operation, he'd need an AOC. I can't see him/the charity/company in the list here:

http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1196&pagetype= (http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1196&pagetype=90)

[Say again s l o w l y]

Fiona, Matthews is a CONVICTED fraudster already. It doesn't take a genius to work out that with his track record and current actions what is going on. I am not a judge or a juror, so my opinions are not bound by "innocent until proven guilty".

I don't care what has happened in someones life to make them act in a certain way. That is no excuse. We all know what constitutes "acceptable" and legal behaviour and we are all bound by the laws and regulations in this country regardless of upbringing. Ignorance of the law is no defense.

You have been on the receiving end of a lot of attention from the police and media and whilst I will never pretend that they get it right 100% of the time, you are still technically a fugitive from justice.

If you are innocent of the £300,000 fraud that you have been accused of, then why not present yourself to the Police and get it all cleared up? Or is it that because of your subsequent actions there would be further charges and you don't wish to face these.

I would expect a practising Christian to be an honest individual who confronts their past mistakes.

You are coming to terms with your anger? A very easy phrase to say, why not do it by proving your innocence in a court of law or by having the Police drop the case. That way, you will have been proved right and your name will be cleared. A moral victory would do more to disperse anger than any amount of hiding and whinging.

People who run usually have something to hide and I don't for one second believe it is as clearcut as you simply being a scapegoat who is whiter than white. I doubt you are the devil incarnate either, but like most things the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

We all make mistakes, but what defines us as people is how we accept the consequences of our actions. You haven't done that, so I find it very interesting that you would come on here and moralise about anything. In my eyes, you haven't earnt that right.

Matthews is under investigation currently and the truth will eventually out, there are some tenacious people involved and if he is found to be guilty then I for one will be happy. If he is found entirely innocent, then that is also good, but I somehow doubt that everything is above board.

Bose, this isn't the Dail Mail here, so there is some balance hopefully, but you cannot tell me that if he is found guilty of another fraud you won't be outraged? I would be very surprised if you said no.

Hate is a horrid thing. I don't hate anyone unless they think wearing a swastika is a good thing, then I lose all rationality. In this case I have strong dislike and distaste, but that is only after seeing evidence that points to something being very, very wrong.

Standing up against something you find disgusting is our right and in many cases our duty. I just wish more people would be pushed into action when they felt strongly about something. If they were, then maybe we wouldn't have the social issues in this country that we have. Social apathy is a disease that seems to have paralysed the nation sometimes and allows scumbags to get away with all sorts of things, from loutish behaviour to fraud.

[Winco]

Peter,
I think you meant 'vulnerable people' but the rest of what you say is absolutely true.

Say again Slowly - I can tell you that he HAS had a CRB check! The thing about CRB checks however, is that the company/organisation who requests them, gets the results, NO ONE ELSE!! Now in the case of Tigers for Kids, I suppose it was his mother who got the results of the CRB check and she won't have been too suprised at all to find her beloved son had been a bad boy in the past, and there endeth the exercise.

As far as the authorities are concerned, Matthews has passed the CRB and all is well. What a joke it makes of the CRB checks, when there is NO independant check done on the results! But thats another story.

Anyway, can we now stop all this nonesence regarding Tail wheels v Nose wheels and Gypsy powered aircraft being dangerous and unsafe, and Tigers in cages and get back to the serious issue of stopping this character from ripping anyone else off? Thank you.

The Winco

[airborne_artist]

SaS - It seems that the CPS have decided not to pursue Ms Mont, and if so she is innocent and has no need to pursue the matter. There is a recently updated Wiki entry on her:

Fiona Mont - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Mont)

[S-Works]

Bose, this isn't the Dail Mail here, so there is some balance hopefully, but you cannot tell me that if he is found guilty of another fraud you won't be outraged? I would be very surprised if you said no.

Sorry SAS, the answer is no. I don't know the guy in any shape or form so have no emotional attachment to allow me to be outraged. I will leave the sense of outrage over these type of things to the red top readers.

As far as I am concerned I will leave the pursuit of him to the authorities and leave it at that.

For what it's worth mate your pursuit of Fiona Mont is a little out of order as well. I have not met her, don't know her and am not prepared to stand in judgement of her either. However if she has been as wronged by this man as seems she is the only one who has grounds to vilify the guy and yet she seems to be one of those displaying balanced reason.

Food for thought.

[Say again s l o w l y]

So Bose, you are saying that if you heard of someone defrauding people for whatever reason, you wouldn't find that distasteful? Seriously?
Red top readers aren't the usual renta mob you describe, that is solely reserved for readers of that bastion of level headed and honest reporting that is the Dail Mail. I can assure you. I wouldn't line the cat's litter tray with that rag. (Or any newspaper with a red top for that case either.)
Do you not feel the tiniest bit of annoyance that someone is using something we both care about to rip people off? You are one cold individual if that is the case, but I'll bet there are things that you are passionate about that I couldn't give a fig for. There's nothing wrong with a bit of diversity in how we think or act.

Fiona, since the case has been dropped by the CPS (according to wikipedia that ever so reliable source of information.............) I will desist in asking you questions. It does seem as if you probably suffered enough. Living for years in squalor and with the threat of extradition hanging over your head is undoubtably worse than having simply spent 6 months inside (on the basis that you'd have been found guilty, not a certainty of course.)

The CPS drop cases for many, many reason. Guilt or innocence rarely have much to do with why the case doesn't make it to court.

30-Year-old brunette Beauty Fiona Mont (http://web.archive.org/web/20010726083244/http://the-baron.50megs.com/)

How Britain's most wanted woman met her showdown | UK news | The Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/feb/03/ameliahill.theobserver)

[S-Works]

So Bose, you are saying that if you heard of someone defrauding people for whatever reason, you wouldn't find that distasteful? Seriously?

I would indeed. But I am not going to be outraged and I am not going to pursue someone as judge jury and executioner just because of something I read on the internet.

There are way to many on here who see it as their duty to do so already.

I just feel these things have a tendency to get out of control to easily.

[Say again s l o w l y]

I see your point, but once people get an idea from whatever news source (be it TV, Newspaper, Internet) and they then research it and get involved, that no longer is a case of someone being part of renta mob and actually having a bit of knowledge about the situation.

If at that point you still don't feel annoyed at something like this, then there is something wrong. Why did I feel motivated by this, well. I'll give you three guesses........

[S-Works]

SAS, it's your choice.

If it is something you feel you need pursue then it's your call but don't be indignant that others don't see it the same way. If we got involved in everything we see as an injustice in the world we would be Bob Geldof........

[Say again s l o w l y]

God no!! I like washing.

leafsandbranches Say again s l o w l y - you're an idiot - you don't even know this guy ! Everything you have cooked up and stirred up at this point is based on conjecture - who the hell are you to judge anyway?. What if it isn't a scam?, can you see the damage you're doing ?!

Where's your evidence? If you're bold enough to come forward with any evidence about this then let us know about it - THEN we can start to 'sharpen out pitch forks' as you so nicely put it.

As Fiona so rightly says, it's easy to sit behind the security of your keyboard an monitor as an anonymous entity - I smell 'bully'

Oh the irony!
And you are who exactly? Hmmm I wonder.

If this isn't a scam then I'll be extremely surprised. I know enough about charities and flying to know that this is as dodgy as it comes. You want evidence, then I suggest you talk to the people doing the investigating. They've plenty.

Bullying.... Oh do grow up.

[BRL]

I don't know what to make of all this to be honest. Too many of you sharing the same I.P address........

[The Swinging Monkey]

Hey Guys,

Knock it of for Christ's sake, you're like a bunch of school kids bickering away.

You have to be completely blind or just plain stupid to see that this guy isn't a fraud. He has a proven record of criminality, and having read what's going on here I have no doubt that this was another one of his scams to get money from kind-hearted people who believed they were giving to a worthy charity, when all the time they were funding his lifestyle.

I'm not interested in all this crap about 'at least he let the kids fly in his aircraft' - big deal. He wasn't doing it for the kids - he was doing for himself.

I notice that Mr Matthews has declined to come on here and defend himself to date, as has his brother. That's strange, bearing in mind that they were only too keen to come onto prune over the SAMRA thing and threaten people with litigation etc. You have to ask yourself why neither of them have surfaced on here or infact anywhere. I understand that Adrian simply didn't turn up for a pre arranged interview with the press the day before it broke, and his brother was the one who pitched up for the Manchester gazette (or whatever)

leavesandbranches, you're another one who took the opportunity to mark your first posting on pprune with an unwarranted attack on SaS - how dare you? I hope the mods will take note of that and consider carefully whether to leave you on here after your probation. Next time you post, try to imagine you're an adult and post something worthwhile and constructive.

I also see that there are quite a few 'first-timers' to pprune intent on getting there views out on this forum, and mainly in defence of this criminal. That's strange isn't it? I wonder why? Maybe one is called Brian and one is Adrian???

Kind regsards to all
TSM

[leafsandbranches]

How dare I ?

I thought I was allowed to express my opinion ! :rolleyes:

I don't know these guys but I'm just reading between the lines, everyone seems to be attacking them but no one has any concrete evidence !?

Is he not being investigated as we speak, lets hold fire until the outcome !

[sleepy hole]

Adrian Matthews is being investigated because he appeared on television stations & in local newspapers asking for money to run his REGISTERED charity! Jacqueline Seatle at the Charity Commission had already started to investigate him before he made his public appearances because, as you all know 'Tigers for Kids' was struck off from the Companies House Register in June 2004.

Adrian Matthews was still claiming to his sponsors and anybody that would listen to him that he ran a REGISTERED charity! Now why is that? Is that because, if it's a registered charity people are likely to give him more money?

It seems to me there is no stopping this man. He must be pretty stupid to 'front' his own charity with his fraudulent record. Did he not think his past would ever catch up with him? Maybe his ego drives him and he wants to be seen as a hero!! A very deluded human being if you ask me!

Fiona, you said that Adrian 'owes you one'. what do you mean?

I actually feel sorry for this man. I pity him and his family. They must live a very loveless spiteful bitter life.

[strake]

Great thread, love it.:ok:

A number of new members think he is whiter than the driven snow.
A number of other new members think he is whiter than the driven slush.
A number of regular members think we should wait and find out in the press.
A number of regular members want to march to Manchester for a lynching.

Most of the above are now arguing with each other on points entirely unconnected with the subject of the thread..

"Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel...tra-la-la-la-la-la-lala, tr-la-la-la-la-lala.la...."

[BRL]

A number of new members think he is whiter than the driven snow.
A number of other new members think he is whiter than the driven slush.
A number of regular members think we should wait and find out in the press.
A number of regular members want to march to Manchester for a lynching.

A number of new members with the same I.P address.

[ShyTorque]

Same poster registering under different usernames to "bring in reinforcements" over a point already made? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

IIRC, "Agony Aunts" got shut down completely when this sort of thing began to become common.......

(Mind you , this thread is better than most soap operas).

[JW411]

BRL:

You are a moderator.

You are telling us that a whole bunch of new posters have the same I.P. address.

Is this not illegal under the pprune rules?

Are we not, in the meantime, entitled to know which "callsigns" share the same I.P. address so that we might make a valued decision as to exactly who is doing what unto whom and for why?

[leafsandbranches]

I'm not a long standing member, I just joined because I recently took up flying and general quality of help and info on this site looks really good.

This did actually seem like a really strange topic. For what its worth, being a probationary member, I think JW411 has a very valid point - its looks like the same person has a personal vendetta against this guy.

Anyway, I'll no longer post on this topic, I'm going to get busy with the hundred odd other questions I have about my new found hobby, which is why I joined in the first place - not sure how or why I allowed myself to be dragged into this !

Have fun.

Bye !

[Fg Off Max Stout]

This thread is brilliant. It just gets more and more bizarre, and now that the schizophrenics seem to be coming on board it's almost surreal. Imagine a dinner party with these guys - four seats at the table - 10 personalities.

PS I agree with everything Fg Off Max Stout has said. What an upstanding, intellectual, valuable poster he is.



Also, if you fancy a good laugh checkout Skyhawk Pilot's other posts (http://www.pprune.org/search.php?searchid=4409693). For a new pprunner with only four posts to his name so far, he has expertly managed to combine aggression, idiocy, geekiness and waltism into his posts. 276 DFCs on Flight Sim! swing wing jet biplanes! Proof that care in the community doesn't work.

Nurse -straight jacket and horse tranqs - quickly!

[strake]

Stout...

They're all mad you know...quite mad...

We feel we need to write a poem to you...

Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
I'm schitzophrenic,
And so am I...

Ha-ha...give me another of those horse pills...neigh...give me two...:8:E:eek:

[BRL]

Alright chaps, let's not get too out of hand! I have sorted the multiple id's, simple explaination at the end of the day. :)

[sleepy hole]

I think Fiona Mont is a very gutsy brave lady for coming on this forum and telling us about Adrian Matthews, his past crimes and his criminal record!

He's obviously a coward! What kind of a man let's a woman take all the blame for his actions aswell? A weak one!

We need more people like Fiona coming forward. I bet there are lots of people out there who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with Adrian Matthews!

Thankyou Fiona for enlightening us. I hope you and your family can move on at last and put the past behind you.

[Peter Sound]

Well, this thread seems to have gone down hill somewhat, so lets get back to the point.

I am probably one of the few people here who actually know a lot of the facts with regards to how this 'charity' has been run. Unfortunately I wont be able to tell you all I know, as I wouldn't want to jeopardise the Charity Commissions investigation.

However, I can tell you that until earlier this year Tigers For Kids was operating out of Wickenby in Lincolnshire. The engineer at Wickenby was asked if he could do a C of A on the aircraft. When he heard about the 'charity' he was keen to get involved. Mr Matthews told the engineer that there is very little money in the charity bank account. Upon hearing this, the engineer agreed to finance things until the charity was financially stable. This included paying for all maintenance, all fuel, all insurance. In fact... Just about everything. In over a year, all the charity ever paid back was £1500. Well, Mr Matthews is stating that the charity costs £60,000 per year, so as you can imagine, the engineer is out of pocket by a considerable sum of money. This whole business about the investigation started when Adrian left the charity cheque book at Wickenby one day. This is where I cant tell you much more, but I can say that the charity has had thousands of pounds pass through it, and if I were to tell you where that money had gone, you would be horrified. Put it this way, it didn't go to help the sick children that it was supposed to help.

No doubt all this information will be disclosed in due course. Until then, I can say too much more, but believe me the above is all fact. Not heresy, not speculation... FACT

I can also tell you that the engineer at Wickenby also flew a great number of children himself, not only in the Tiger Moth, but also in his Auster when the weather was too cold to fly the tiger.

[coldair]

This thread is better than any Agatha Christie novel. ;-)

I just can't wait for the final chapter !

[rojread]

Having dialled by Wickenby a few times this year when the yellow tiger was buzzing around giving rides for the disabled children, the smiles were a mile wide! Having followed this thread, and knowing the people involved in the Wickenby flights, I had been wondering what, if any, was their connection. It would seem, from recent posts that they were also heavily screwed by our lad Matthews.

Wickenby on a sunny summer afternoon, sitting with a cup of coffee under the tower and watching the aircraft is pleasant enough, but the circling Tiger and the happy excited faces of kids, helpers and onlookers brought back that airport atmosphere that us old farts thought had gone forever.

Let's hope Matthews gets his just deserts, and next time folks, blow the whistle a little earlier!

[Winco]

Just wanted to keep this up where it belongs.
Anyone from the Rochdale Lib Dems care to comment on why Mr Rowen (their MP) is STILL promoting this guy on his web site????? Ands STILL encouraging people to donate money to him!!

DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY MORE MONEY FOLKS

[Winco]

I've spent quite a bit of time this morning talking to the CRB office and NACRO regarding CRB checks on individuals and ultimately what they mean.

It is a requiremnent in this country for anyone, even remotely involved, working with children to have a CRB check. The check should be initiated by the 'head' of an organisation on a future employee or person who will be involved with the children. In the case of a charity it would be one of the trustees.

The problem is however, that the results of the CRB check only go back to the person who initiated the check and no one else! there is NO independant check done on the results to see if someone is suitable to work with children.

Now clearly, this is a major loophole in the system, because if you want to 'employ' your 'dodgy' mate to work with children, and you know he has a 'dodgy' past (lets say arson and fraud just for example) then when the CRB check results come back to you, you're not in the least surprised at what they say! and you can go ahead and 'employ' him. You can now say to Joe public is 'oh yes, he's had a CRB check' and that immediately gives credibility to your 'dodgy' mate and presumably his 'organisation'

I am in discussion with the authorities to find out if you can see the results of someones' CRB check under the freedom of information act. Clearly, if you are going to hand over your 'nearest, youngest and dearest' to someone, you would want to know that they are in safe hands wouldn't you?

Any legal people out there care to comment please??

I'll keep you all updated.

The Winco

[airborne_artist]

Winco - I see where you are trying to go, but the fact that he has a conviction for fraud does not, in my opinion, automatically make him a risk with children. He's clearly a risk where there is money involved, but that is a different matter, and for the Charity Commissioners to follow up. Of course, he may have other convictions that we don't know about that do make him a risk with children, in which case the trustees' do have a problem.

[Winco]

aa

Yes I agree entirely, having convictions for fraud and arson does not instantly make you a threat to a child, however, I'm fairly certain that any reasonable parent of a sick youngster would be at best 'concerned' about letting their child go off with such a person. I don't think I would let my grandchildren loose with a convicted arsonist, would anyone else?
But if you as a parent don't know about it....... then what??????

It does of course open up an even bigger can of worms in that you would have expected the individual hospitals themselves to have done their own CRB checks on a person with whome they were going to hand over the custody of a sick child to, even for a 30 minute flight?

[airborne_artist]

I hadn't spotted the arson conviction - and I'd agree, it's fairly unattractive. The whole CRB issue is shot full of holes, though. Self-employed people can't get CRB checks, as they and their employer are one and the same. This means that private tutors can not be regulated. They can apply for a print-out of their police record (blank if no cautions/convictions), but they are not obliged to do so, yet if they were employed in exactly the same role they'd have to be CRB checked.

[Say again s l o w l y]

You are absolutely right in that AA. The system in place is fairly pointless and does nothing to enhance the security of anyone.

Matthews may well have a disclosure check, but as has been pointed out, it is irrelevant as it all depends on who checks it.

I wouldn't go so far to say that Matthews was a danger to the children, mor eit is the fundraising and what it then gets spent on that is distasteful.

[airborne_artist]

The problem is that different charities have different approaches to their expenditure, salaries etc. My mother was employed by a national benevolent fund/charity as their organiser/representative in the South West. She was expected to raise (and did) about twice her employment costs, so she was "profitable". Now you might think twice about paying £5.00 for a ticket to a charity concert if you knew that £2.50 went as salary to the person who had set it up, but that is not uncommon.

If Matthews was open about his costs then the CC don't have an issue, normally, but I think he's not being transparent, so there are questions to be anwswered.

[west lakes]

It's a while since I did my training on the above but I was involved with an organisation that did background checks prior to the act, and have been CRB checked since.

The CRB check is not a stand alone item, organisations should also have a published child protection policy and a policy about what "declared/disclosed" offences are acceptable or not. There is a lot of advice on the net about these subjects if you are interested.
(I have been in the situation where a person was background checked and found to be unsuitable as well)

The basic idea is that the policy is in place first before the checks are made.

OK in a one man band this gets difficult but if there is an accusation these policies will be used.

[Say again s l o w l y]

Child protection policies are often nothing more than backside covering excercises and do little to enhance the security of children. That is true of most protection "policies".

My wife was a fundraiser for Cancer Research when I first met her and she often met with the attitude from some people that she should be doing it all as a volunteer.

All very well if your husband is in the city earning a million quid a year, but for the rest of humanity getting paid is essential. Her annual targets were over £500,000 a year, so they got their moneys worth!!

This might account for some of the costs associated with Tigers for Kids, but there are too many other "oddities" involved in this.

[Romeo India Xray]

And all this talk of CRB, criminality and fraud does nothing to reslove the problem of a great deal of kids being out there who should be in the air and insted will not be. Many of us on here are pilots and/or GA aircraft owners. We are the ones who could be doing something about this situation. Was it not IAOPA (correct me if I am wrong) who wanted to fly a million kids by the centenary of powered flight? At the time I thought about it but was worried about the implications of doing so in this day and age so insted I joined the ATC as a CI and got to instruct. :) The point is that WE are the ones who are in a position to right the (aparent) wrongs of this man, so why do we settle for flying 1/4 full aluminium cans around the sky when we could be doing so with someone who would get a great deal from the experience?

I am in the process of starting a flying club out here in RIXland and reading this thread has given me the idea of doing just this out here. :ok:

Now on the subject of the good Mr AM, I dont know about you but I certainly would not want my kids flying off with a convicted fraudster. If cash is a bit tight at the time, who knows what tricks he may pull out of the hat?

RIX

[Whiskey Kilo Wanderer]

Hi RIX,

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) started their Young Eagles project with the aim of flying 1 million young people before the centenary of powered flight. They succeeded and according to their website (EAA Young Eagles (http://www.youngeagles.org/)) 1,437,376 kids have flown to date.

It’s not limited to the USA, people all over the world are helping to add to the total. You may like to link in to the organisation, as they have publicity material and Flight Certificates etc. We used to be part of this in the PFA / LAA, but now seem to be doing our own thing.

This isn’t limited to sick children. You may have seen my earlier post on Starlight Day etc, perhaps there is something similar in RIXland?

Safe Flying,
Richard W.

[Romeo India Xray]

Richard

Many thanks, yes it was the Young Eagles, good job memory tests are not part of my medical!

We don't have anything like that over here in RIXland but we should! We used to have a young flyers club but it was run by the aviation museaum curator and was short of both staff and funding, it was ground based only (based in the museum) and concentrated on engineering.

The project I am hoping to start will offer GA aircraft to current line pilots, hopefully will have a fly-a-kid programme, and if things go well should also be able to offer at-cost flight training for youngsters here who are prevented getting into aviation through the immense costs. It is ambitious to start this here, but I think I can muster enough support :ok:.

Fiona

I really sympathise with everything you have been through. I have neither met Adrian or Tyrone. I am glad for that!

I have run charitable programmes (through the Air Cadet movement) in the past in which all monies went directly into the funding of the programme - no problem with accounting for a penny, and every penny going directly into the good cause.

When people use charity to line their own pockets (and yes, this goes for a lot of the management of big charities (which is why I will never donate to charities who have dubious pay deals for their employees)), they should be held accountable, fully, for their every action, which in my opinion is intent only on defrauding those who have contributed to said charities.

RIX

[sleepy hole]

Very interesting article in this months 'Flight Training News' all about the secret life of Adrian Matthews, alias Walter Mitty!! The more you read, the more you realise that this man is a serial compulsive liar, a conman and a fraud!

Would you want to buy fish and chips from this man??

[The Swinging Monkey]

Sleepy Hole

Do you have a link to FTN? Can't find anything on line.
TSM

[Fitter2]

For those following the saga of Mr Matthews, this has appeared in print and on the web.

Flight Training News: learn to fly, flying schools, PPL, CPL, ATPL, aircraft, helicopter, glider, microlight (http://tinyurl.com/5ebpfh)

The print version of FTN has an amusing story of a (very short) period of Mr Mattews employment in the aviation industry.

[Winco]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to the Mods and the tech boys and girls for getting this back up and running - well done to all.

Without wishing to advertise, could I urge as many as possible to get hold of a copy of the magazine above - it has an extremely funny (but true) account of how Matthews was caught by the police after setting fire to his Mothers Chip Shop!! He was seen running out of the door with only one shoe on and his foot on fire!! Guess where the police found the other shoe? You've got it, in the burned out Chip Shop, and they found Matthews inhospital being treated for burns to his foot!!

Thanks once again to all at Pprune for getting it back.
The Winco

[Saab Dastard]

A case of being caught red-footed, and a classic example of putting one's foot in it! :):p

Sorry, I'll get my coat! :O

SD

[BackPacker]

Sorry, I'll get my coat!

If I hear what you guys have been doing these last few days, you'd better get some sleep instead.

Well done. I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

[Barcli]

Andrew Marr's programme on the BBC ( England from the Air was it ?) showed him being flown around in a yellow Tiger Moth .. is this the same one ? with Mr Mathews at the helm possibly ?

[Fitter2]

The really amusing bit; I have asked about a dozen people how they would go about setting fire to a fish and chip shop.

Not one has suggested throwing a canful of petrol around, and lighting a match.

Mr Matthews gets full marks for originality.

Andrew Marr's programme on the BBC ( England from the Air was it ?) showed him being flown around in a yellow Tiger Moth .. is this the same one ? with Mr Mathews at the helm possibly ?

The Tiger in the programme ended landing at Compton Abbas, so I think I know which one was used, and it wasn't the subject of this thread.

[Fly-by-Wife]

gets full marks for originalityWhen the chips were down, he was caught between a Rock and a hard Plaice! :}

Like SD I shall slink away quietly...

FBW

[BRL]

Cod almighty! Sometimes this plaice makes me laugh, some of you do have chips on your shoulders....

[sleepy hole]

It all occured whilst on active service he claims, no mention of a chip shop in Rochdale.

According to ex associates...It happenened whilst he was working with the red cross in Somalia. He was hit by shrapnel whilst saving a little boy. He had to be airlifted out of the warzone...still holding the child whilst his shoe was melting into his ankle!!!

Another marvellous account states that the same injury occured, again, whilst on active service....This time in Mogadishu, a landmine, that he had the misfortune of stepping on! The explosion was so severe.. It blew his shoe several thousand miles away...and landed in a chippy in Rochdale!!

Unfortunatly, people have believed these stories and have been taken in enough to hand over their money or give time to his so called 'charitable activities.'

I was one of them!!!

[BackPacker]

Happy to report that if you search for "tigers for kids" on google (including the quotes), this thread and all the useful information it contains is now the third entry, straight behind the Tigers for Kids website.

Unfortunately if you search for "Adrian Matthews" the score is worse. Probably since everybody seems to refer to him as "Mr Matthews", which is too generic a term for Google.

[sleepy hole]

I'm trying to find an article written on the 9th of February 2001 in The Daily Mirror. It is regarding the Matthews family. Joan (Adrians Mother), Bryan (his brother), Lana (his sister) and, of course, the now infamous Mr Matthews. The article is about the whole family being implicated in a medical business scam. Apparantly, the company was called Lonloc. They supplied locum doctors to hospitals. Another company that they set up was called Excel. They allegedly never paid the doctors and owed thousands of pounds! Can anybody help?

[jez d]

Can't help you with the Daily Mail artice SH, but according to the article in FTN, Adrian Matthews was both company director of Excel Locums and Universal Medical Services Ltd, both of which were subsequently disolved. Then, in 2003, Mr Matthews was barred from being a company director for five years at Oldham County Court.

jez

[Nibbler]

Thanks for the warning of thread closure BRL!

Like any industry aviation has its crooks and con artists - these people will always tell you what they want you to hear and then deny the important bits when you have cause to remind them.

Money is always the motivation - don't part with yours!

False names, theft, lies, prison, drugs, abusing children, absconding and all the other cr@p these people got up to but were never caught for. They should all hang their heads in shame, not that they would of course but what goes around has a habit of coming back around and these to55ers will get what's coming to them one way or another.

[chrisN]

I have been following the thread about the Tigers for kids affair with interest, because some years ago I got dragged into peripheral involvement with a registered charity which provided glider flights at low cost or no cost to children. As far as I could see, most of the money that the charity received went to paying the income of the person running it. As I understand it, provided the charitable purposes were genuinely meant and there was a genuine effort to supply them, there is nothing illegal in that. If most of the income is used up in administrating the charity including salaries to employees which can include the person who started the charity, that does not make it illegal or fraud in itself. I was watching to see if the developments revealed about Tiger for kids was a similar affair, or at the least have many similarities, or whether it was something quite different.

I wanted (and still want) to know if this charity was similarly organised – legitimate in format, however much of its income went in paying its organiser(s)/employee(s), and/or if the Charity Commissioners or other are making any moves to investigate it, or to challenge its basis.

I will be disappointed if the thread does not lead to news of that, although of course PPRuNe cannot make people post what they don’t know or don’t want to.

By the way, I am who I say I am.

Chris J Nicholas

[coldair]

As this thread is possibly about to close may I post the following link in case others here have not seen it;

Rent A Date For Charity | Tigers for Kids (http://www.rentadateforcharity.com/tigersforkids.htm)

This is currently on 'Google' and seems to be soliciting funds for the 'Charity' .

I would like the thread to continue as it may just give a 'heads up' for anyone tempted to donate. However, I respect the Mods on here, so if the thread is closed I will respect the moderators descision.

[Fly-by-Wife]

I wanted (and still want) to know if the Charity Commissioners or other are making any moves to investigate it, or to challenge its basis.


Chris,

If you read the thread you will see that your question has been answered. The Charity Commissioners are investigating and have already "challenged its basis" - by removing it from the register.

The company, The International Tiger Moth Charitable Trust, run by 43-year-old Adrian Matthews, of Milnrow Road, Newbold, was struck off the register of limited companies at Companies House in June 2004 for failing to submit its accounts.

FBW

[chrisN]

FBW, thanks. I had read it, but so long ago I had forgotten. I would still like to know if an organiser taking a salary is the point at issue (I don’t think it can be) or what, but I suppose I shall have to await reports elsewhere if this thread gets locked or deleted.

Chris N.

[sleepy hole]

'Rent a date for Charity' have been informed about Adrian Matthews and his 'Tigers for Kids' bogus charity. They are removing it from their site.

At the moment, the CAA are investigating him. The charity Commissions are investigating him. They are working together along with the police.

It looks like this man has continuously conducted his life in a 'take everything that doesn't belong to him' fashion.

Sadly though, he will probably 'set up shop' in a different part of the country. Forge another CV. Convince many more people to hand over their well earned money....Obviously because this life style is all he knows.

People like him never think they are doing anything wrong. They constantly blame everybody else. He has no compassion and no integrity. He just thinks the world owes him a 'big fat wallet' and he'll go to any lengths to get it, as this thread has shown!

[ATR42300]

Not seen his claim to this until now........

Ex RAF fighter Stunt pilot adrian john Matthews first shot to fame in BBC2 TOP GEAR as "The Stig"
He was the team leader of the RAF Red Arrows formation flying team from 1992 to 1996.

Adrian Matthews-adrian,matthews Video Search - The Best adrian,matthews video search engineer, you can search and download the hottest adrian,matthews videos through leechvideo.com (http://www.leechvideo.com/video/view639843.html)

One would have thought he would be wearing a red flying suit....

[BackPacker]

I hope BRL keeps this thread open for a while longer. I find myself coming back to it every time just to see if it gets any weirder than it already is.

I agree that it really doesn't fit "Private Flying" anymore but in the absence of a "Lies, Scams and Frauds Exposed" forum here on PPRuNe, I think we can tolerate this one thread right here.

[BRL]

Well, as you mention it, this thread has been discussed in the Admin Forum and it gets to stay here.

Someone will be here soon to go through the thread and get rid of a lot of posts so expect some posts going missing as soon as one of us gets the time to go through it. :)

[Dan Dare]

Backpacker's
...it really doesn't fit "Private Flying" anymore but in the absence of a "Lies, Scams and Frauds Exposed" forum here on PPRuNe...

When you have been in aviation for long enough you are likely to notice the same names apear regularly over the years under this category. Aviation has a mixture of con-men and scoundrels in the same way as the non-flying world. There does not seem to be any aviation based warning to protect the rest of us. Is there any way that PPRuNe could have a such a Forum without being the expensive target of legal action? Could written evidence of illegality be used to protect posters and PPRuNe from comeback in order to help the unwary and make it more difficuult for these parasites?

[Winco]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have pm'd the moderator and asked him to keep this thread open, but may I, as the originator ask that we all try to keep to the facts and not digress too much please?

This thread has been hugely succesful in showing Matthews for what he is, and for publishing the facts about the Tigers for Kids charity, as well as the "Rent a date for charity' thing, (which I knew nothing about)

I am also immensly grateful to FTN for publishing a superb article about Matthews and his little escapades over the past few years, and I understand that 'the word' has got out to all the flying training establishments in the county, and that can only be good news.

There is a huge amount of info that, at the moment, cannot be disclosed as it may well prejudice the investigations that are currently taking place, but once it is made public, then I am sure it will be published here, so please try to be patient.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of those who have pm'd me and phoned me to discuss the matter. I think it would be fair to say that this little scam has been well exposed for all to see, along with some of Matthews' other ventures in business, and that is in no small part down to PPrune!

The Winco

[skezzSA]

Adrian Matthews's profile:

Left Balderstone in 1983 and after various jobs pursued my ultimate goal of becoming a pilot. Succeeded and now work for a company which provides 99% of all aviation related sequences within the TV and film industry. Which means I get to fly a strange assortment of antique aircraft including open cockpit Tiger Moth bi-planes, which is great in the summer however not so cool in the winter.

I had a severe illness (Bone Cancer) several years ago and now fully recovered, going through the experience changed everything and now I live my life to the full. Would like to contact old school collegues for possible reunion in the future.

My interests

Interests: Eating Out, Health and Fitness, History, Theatre, Travel and the most important - FLYING! (and I don't mean pidgeons!) Music: Dependant on what mood I am in, otherwise I like Classical, Heavy Rock, Soft Rock, Dance, usually anything but Hardcore Gangsta Rap!



1980 - 1983 Balderstone Community High School (http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/SignedIn/SchoolGroup.aspx?school_key=146240&isstudents=1&type=SS&member_key=11339008)

[Winco]

Steve,
Thanks for your last posting and also your previous one regarding your involvement with him in an official capacity. I wonder however, why you have chosen not to respond to some of the points made by Fiona however, that contradict your statement?
Would you care to comment?
TW

[Tonka Toy]

In Ms Monts case, her efforts to decieve people by 'faking' her suicide at Beachy Head were dealt with in an appropriate manner. It is unlikely that an individual intent on taking their life would, given the time scale involved in this case, have survived any fall. To that end the MCA would in the main deploy a fixed wing assett to conduct a search for a body. In this case Coastguard EN -which is not a rotary asset. In this instance, given the evidence, they were looking for a dead body which was not found, - what a surprise. So yes, there was a cost, but not as much as a rotary asset. Who is Audrey Gillion?

[Islander2]

The plot thickens!

How Rrude is Pprune? - Pilot Web (http://www.pilotweb.aero/cs/forums/1554993/ShowPost.aspx)

[Winco]

Things are still on going. Check out todays mirror

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2009/03/whats-going-on-at-tiger-moth-c.html (http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2009/03/whats-going-on-at-tiger-moth-c.html)

Winco

[ATR42300]

Anyone know anything new.

The Tiger Moth is now enetering its seventh month since having been impounded by the CAA and sits in the rear of the Maintenance hanger at Barton.

In the meantime Adrian Matthews insists he is about to get his Charity No back and "will sue everyone in sight".

Can't help being reminded every time I sit down to fish & chips!!!! :ok:

[airborne_artist]

Matthews' Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/planecrazytiger) said on June 8th "Getting prepared for a very important meeting with the charity commission tommorrow."

I wonder how it went. Any Ppruner's with info?

[Winco]

I understand that Matthews was in court in manchester yesterday, does anyone know what the charges were and how it went?
Any word on the Tiger Moth? Is it still impounded?
Winco

[ATR43]

The Tiger Moth is warm and safe in the hanger at Barton still with the CAA writ on it, where it has been for nearly twelvemonths all at Mathews expense.

As for the court case that can be seen at.... 'Safety' shame of pilot who took dying kids on flights - News - Manchester Evening News (http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1185663_safety_shame_of_pilot_who_took_dying_kids_on_flights )

[Winco]

ATR43, many thanks for that.

How utterly pathetic the sentance is - £400 for serious breaches of the ANO; the CAA must be furious over it and will be wondering how he got off so lightly. I can't believe it.

Matthews is a fraud and a conman, and has yet another criminal conviction to his name. I am bewildered how someone with such a past can get off with it; 10 counts of breach of safety, no insurance, no CofA, flying sick children. How much worse could it be? Were the judges awake at the time of the hearing? Shameful.

And the prospect that he is going to revive it all next year? God forbid.

I despair frankly

To everyone with a modicum of decency, please pass on this story and lets make sure that Matthews is stopped once and for all.

Winco

[Winco]

Heard over the w/e that he also got a 6 month suspended jail term, aswell as the £400 + £1000 costs, so slightly better than I first thought.

I wonder who will pay the fine(s) maybe the charity do you think?????

I also have it on good authority that FTN are planning an article in their next edition on the venerable Mr Matthews. Make sure you get a copy!

Best wishes to everyone who has been involved in getting this low-life to the courts. Please continue to watch out for him and pass on this story to everyone you know.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Winco

[Mohamed Alcasser]

I have been reading all this and is hard to understand for me some times, but it seems that this guy has been blamed guilty of flying without a license and... that's it.

Too much gossips, too much personal opinions, but I do not see anything so terrible.

Can anyone summarize the Facts?

If my enemies had a blog, for sure that I'd look worst than Mr. Mathews and Bin Laden together.

Thanks

[Winco]

Mohamed Alcasser

What a name! I only wish I could take your post seriously!

If you had taken the opportunity to read this thread from page one, then you would have no need to make such stupid statements and ask such ridiculous questions.

Take yourself back to the begining of this thread, have a good laugh at Matthews' antics and then have a good talk with yourself!!

Winco

[J.A.F.O.]

guilty of flying without a license and... that's it

Oh well, if that's all... :rolleyes:

[The Swinging Monkey]

Mohamed

I wonder why have you not come back to any of the comments since your joke posting on Christmas eve??

Could it be that you might be involved in this bogus charity in some way? hmmmm I wonder.

Whatever it is, I think that the fact that this was your first posting (as Mohamed anyway) speaks volumes. You aren't related to Mags15 by the way, are you??

I wish I could understand what you mean by "If my enemies had a blog, for sure that I'd look worst than Mr. Mathews and Bin Laden together" I'm afraid that's gone clean over my head, I don't know about anyone else.

Clearly you are living in a slightly different world to the rest of us. Perhaps its that ficticious world where people with a simple PPL believe that they are an ex RAF Test Pilot, an Ex Flying Instructor oh! and an Ex airline pilot also, all in one!

A world where you feel it is OK for a pilot to fly sick children without a license as you say??

You don't have a burned foot do you by chance?? Did you ever runa chip shop?

he he he he he me thinks you've been caught out dear chap

TSM

[Lanathepilot]

My, My you obviously know my brother..........

He's been a professional flying bull****ter for years. PPL my arse, my toilets done more circuits than him.

The thing that gets us all is why doesn't he change his patter, it's been the same old boring scam for years, stealing from anyone who passes to pay for his tiger moth. He doesn't even change his home address even though we all know he still lives with me mam! He doesn't even change his superman duvet and poster of a tornado which is stuck to the wall above his bed. He has got to be the saddest loser in history.

P.S. my one and only post ........... EVER

[FairWeatherFlyer]

Tiger Moth charity censured for health and safety failure - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits (http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/finance/news/content/7994/tiger_moth_charity_censured_for_health_and_safety_failure)

International Tiger Moth Charitable Trust (http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Our_regulatory_activity/Compliance_reports/inquiry_reports/ITMCT.aspx)

[ATR43]

I believe Malta is nice at this time of the year in a Tiger Moth, and I am not refering to the Tiger Moth owned and operated by the malta Aviation Museum.

[ATR43]

Remember the charity "Tigers for Kids" aka Mr Adrian Matthews, well all be warned having decided he is too well known under the "old" name he has now resurfaced as Adrian ALEXANDER. All documents insofar as licensing are concerned have been changed to reflect this new persona.:D

[S-Works]

Yawn.......