A WOMAN with a phobia of opening her post was among 12 people fined this week for failing to fill in their electoral registration forms. Magistrates imposed fines totalling more than £2,000 on householders who failed to give the names of residents at thei

A WOMAN with a phobia of opening her post was among 12 people fined this week for failing to fill in their electoral registration forms.

Magistrates imposed fines totalling more than £2,000 on householders who failed to give the names of residents at their home address, and imposed costs totalling another £1,150.

Every one of the defendants had been given at least four opportunities to fill in the 2005 form, Sian Scanlon told Ely magistrates on Thursday.

And one defendant - Antony Watson of Ely - was being prosecuted for the second time in two years. The council gives everyone one year's grace, so he had not filled in a form since 2002. Watson, of Sextry House, St Mary's Street, was convicted and fined £300 and told to pay £100 costs.

Hazel Patton, formerly of High Street, Soham, admitted failing to provide the information, and was fined £50 with £50 costs after the court heard she had a phobia of opening letters and dealing with her post. Her daughter normally helped her, but had been unable to do so because she had a baby.

Others who were convicted were: Linda Edwards and Norman Edwards, both of Newmarket Road, Stretham, who were both fined £150 with £100 costs; and David Badcock and Sherilyn Badcock, both of The Red

Lion, High Street, Soham, were fined £150 with £100 costs.

Householders fined £200 with £100 costs after conviction were: Wayne Houghton, of High Street, Soham; Paul Moss, of High Street, Soham; Leanne Moore, of Duck Lane, Haddenham; Geoffrey Butler of Swaffham Bulbeck; Catherine Cooper of Swaffham Bulbeck, and Darin Hudson of Newmarket.

The same allegation facing Portuguese Jose Araujo of Pratt Street, Soham, was adjourned for two weeks so he can have an interpreter.