Knighted head arrested in school fraud case

A former headteacher who was knighted for services to education has been arrested over claims that he and his senior colleagues mismanaged more than a million pounds of his school's funds. Sir Alan Davies, who received his knighthood in 2000, has been arrested in relation to conspiracy to defraud Copland community school in Wembley, north-west London. Davies has reputedly entertained four prime ministers, one US president and Nelson Mandela in his more than 20 years as head. He is believed to have boosted his £100,000 salary by an £80,000 bonus. It is alleged that up to £1m was paid to the school's senior management team over seven years. Davies resigned in November 2009, having been suspended while Brent council investigated allegations of financial mismanagement. The former deputy head of the school, Richard Evans, is also understood to have been arrested in relation to conspiracy to defraud the school. A 50-year-old woman is being held on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and theft. All three were bailed to a date in late September after being interviewed at police stations in north-west London. The school's governing body was sacked by former schools secretary Ed Balls in June 2009. In January last year, Scotland Yard announced it was considering whether to launch a full criminal inquiry into allegations of financial mismanagement at the school.