Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Pensioner's tea sweeteners spark drugs probe

Police questioned a great-grandmother and former magistrate about possessing cocaine when they found small white tablets in her purse - only to find they were artificial sweeteners for her tea.

Former magistrate and Sunday school teacher Marilyn Gordon, 72, from South Shields, South Tyneside, was quizzed after officers became suspicious about the pills which she kept in a clear plastic bag.

They were also suspicious about credit card fraud when they found the devout Christian and ex-nursery head teacher was carrying a card in someone else's name.

But their fears were soon put to rest when the pensioner, who was praised by the Queen for her work during a recent visit to Tyneside, explained that the card belonged to her daughter and she kept it to make regular deposits into her account.

Mrs Gordon, a former chairman of the bench at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court, said: "I don't want to be plastered all over the papers."

And now she's on the interweb.

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