ROBERT Heseltine, the former chairman of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, escaped jail after pleading guilty to 12 charges of false accounting on his expenses.

Teesside Crown Court heard how Heseltine, 55, had made a career out of local politics and pocketed up to £200 a time by falsely claiming loss of earnings, double claiming and exaggerating mileage.

On one occasion he claimed expenses for a meeting that did not take place.

Sentencing Judge Peter Fox told Heseltine: "You are unworthy of public office because you are not to be trusted".

As chairman of the Park Authority since 1988 he was a powerful figure. He led a 26 man body which acted as the planning authority for the Yorkshire Dales.

He was also an elected member of North Yorkshire County Council and Craven District Council and held positions with the Environment Agency and the local valuation tribunal.

"This is a case of expense fiddling by a councillor over a three year period," said Andrew Dallas, prosecuting.

Mr Dallas said Heseltine had no job but gained an income from shares and renting out property and often helped his daughter run a newsagents.

But between March 1996 and March 1999 he made several claims for loss of earnings from the Environment Agency and the local Valuation Tribunal when, in fact, he was not in work.

After an internal audit threw up discrepancies, the national park's chief executive Heather Hancock ordered a full audit and handed the results over to police.

The fraud squad probe revealed he had claimed loss of earnings he was not entitled to and had effectively claimed mileage for two different meetings at the same time.

Heseltine, of The White House, Langcliffe, Settle, pleaded guilty to 12 charges of false accounting amounting to over £1,498 and asked for 11 other offences to be taken into consideration.

"In each case he had to sign a declaration that he had suffered a loss of earnings as a result of performing public duties.

"In reality he had not suffered any such loss at all, in effect he was a full time local politician" said Mr Dallas.

Mr Martin Rudland, mitigating, handed in glowing testimonies from local officials who had known him over his 25 gears of public service.

The court heard how Heseltine came from an agricultural family who for generations had farmed the Duke of Devonshire's Bolton Abbey estate with distinction.

But as a younger brother he did not inherit the family farm and, said Mr Rudland, "experienced poverty for the first time."

He set up a fruit and veg business and took a keen interest in helping his customers. This led to him following in his father and grandfather's footsteps onto the council in the mid 1970s.

Mr Rudland said his client's life had been dedicated to public service had cost him his marriage and his business.

"You have seen a man who is completely broken and the final act of turning the key on him with a jail sentence would be a step too far," said Mr Rudland.

Judge Peter Fox told Heseltine he had "just' avoided jail thanks to his 25 years of service on various councils and public bodies.

He imposed the maximum 240 hour community service and ordered that Heseltine repay the money he had falsely claimed within 28 days.

Afterwards Mr Heseltine apologised to colleagues and the people of North Yorkshire saying he had made errors in accounting but had not intended to defraud.

He added: "I am deeply humbled by this experience but my commitment to public service and helping those in need remains absolute."

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