ONE of the North-East's leading property developers and businessmen has won damages for libel from two Teesside politicians.

Javed Majid was upset at comments made on the Save Stockton South Facebook website which he believed implied he had been able to buy the former Saltergill school site at Kirklevington, near Yarm, at a cheap price from Stockton Borough Council.

The offending comments were made by Councillor Steve Walmsley, a leading member of Thornaby Town Council. He agreed to pay £10,000 legal costs in an out of court settlement in May and published an apology.

Now Mr Majid has won a case against Yarm councillor, Sandra McLeavy, who hosted the Save Stockton South Facebook site, at Leeds High Court. Cllr McLeavy confirmed she must pay Mr Majid about £15,000 and £22,000 in legal costs - and fears she will lose her home.

The Northern Echo:

Javed Majid

Mr Majid, a very well known businessman across the North-East and Yorkshire, explained he had to deal with other businessmen, banks and public authorities and could not have his honesty questioned.

He said: "I didn't want any money. It wasn't about that. I will give it to charity. I might even give it to Yarm Town Council.

"It's been going on for about two years and she had so many chances to apologise and we wanted to meet and talk it out. To tell the truth I was feeling a bit sorry for her.

"Even our MP, James Wharton tried to get a compromise. We wrote so many letters. She didn't come to court and the judge wanted to delay. If she had just apologised at the beginning it wouldn't have cost her a penny."

Cllr McLeavy said she had sent a letter to the court explaining she was unwell with a doctor's note. She had not written the offending article which was only seen by 29 people online.

She had been worried about publishing the apology wanted by Mr Majid's legal team in case that was itself libellous to Cllr Walmsley. Cllr Walmsley's apology has been published on the Save Stockton South website since May 7.

She said: "I didn't have a solicitor, I just can't afford one and you don't get legal aid for libel cases.

"I couldn't really apologise for something I haven't written. I've got a letter saying they want the money next month. I don't know what to do. We could be homeless by Christmas."

In his published statement, Cllr Walmsley said: "It was not my intention to imply that Mr Majid had acted corruptly or improperly in his dealings with Stockton Borough Council in relation to these matters...If my article has been understood as a criticism of Mr Majid, I apologise for any offence caused and I agree that any such criticism would have been unfounded."

Mr Majid paid about £500,000 to the council for the Saltergill site and the total cost was about £750,000 after construction workers made the area safe. He is unable to develop it because there is a covenant on the property.