Things you can learn from Freedom of Information

 Reading the Tower Hamlets FOI database one suddenly realises the massive range of issues that concern people. Having a look through the requests, I discovered the following random facts:

• There are 19, increasing to 21 lollipop people (officially known as crossing patrol staff). (request is here)
• The highest claim for housing benefit is £709 a week for an individual with three dependents (request is here)
• In 2011/12 10,784 households owed £2.8m in Council Tax to LBTH (request is here)
• Allowances paid to LBTH Councillors were £512k, with another £312k of special responsibility allowances including the Mayor's salary (request is here)
• LBTH does not own any property in Colchester (request is here)
• In 2011-12 the council prosecuted Council Tax and Housing Benefit fraudsters for the value of £617k (request is here)
• The number of prosecutions by Tower Hamlets trading standards has fallen by 90 per cent from 186 to 19 from 2008 to 2012 (request is here)
• Lutfur Rahman made no expense claims between 2010 and 2012 (request is here)
• The average weekly rent for a 2 bed council property is £100 (request is here)
• The Council made appointments to deal with 4,501  pest infestations (request is here)
• 3,000 families were expected to be affected by the 'bedroom tax' (request is here)

Time for an infographic me thinks!