Mother Christmas protests at court

8:51am Wednesday 29th December 2004

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A MUM chained herself to railings outside the Courts of Justice to protest against the Child Support Agency (CSA).

Janice Crowley, 41, of Lullingstone Avenue, Swanley, dressed up as Mother Christmas to highlight how the CSA has not sorted out payments from her ex-husband since it was established 11 years ago.

And she hopes Tony Blair will intervene after delivering a letter to Downing Street following her protest outlining the problem.

With her sons now 17 and 15-years-old, she is angry the CSA is seeking another liability order after her ex-husband's alleged failure to pay the £11,000 a judge ordered should be paid eight years ago.

She was receiving £20 a week from him until the CSA intervened in 1993. All she has received since is £100 compensation for the delay and a cheque for £1.10 last October.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," she said. "The CSA doesn't know why I received this cheque and I want people to know how it's insulted me like this and how it's wasting taxpayers' money in seeking another liability order."

A CSA spokesman said she could not comment on individual cases and it was sometimes hard to collect the money, "especially when a non-resident parent does not comply with the agency".

She added: "The agency will always seek to collect the money and will use the courts to do this where appropriate."