Disgraced ex-leader found guilty of fraud after he set up fake heritage group and cinema club to scam cash quits as councillor

A former council leader who set up a fictitious heritage society to defraud his local authority out of thousands of pounds has resigned.Jason Zadrozny, 46, faces time in prison after he stole money from Nottinghamshire County Council – when he applied for grants for 'good causes'.Zadrozny – once Britain's youngest council leader when he took charge at Ashfield District Council in 2007 – also set up a classic cinema club for Carry On film fans, only to 'help himself' when it received a £1,200 taxpayer grant.He stepped down as leader of Ashfield District Council in September and resigned from the Ashfield Independents party but remained a councillor and was given a seat on the authority's district planning committee.However, it was announced on Thursday he had resigned as a district councillor for Larwood ward – with immediate effect.Ashfield District Council said: 'We can confirm Cllr Zadrozny has formally resigned as district councillor for the Larwood ward.'In accordance with electoral legislation, no by-election will be held before the scheduled local elections on May 6 2027.'The councillor position will therefore remain vacant until the elections take place.' Jason Zadrozny, 46, faces time in prison after he stole money from Nottinghamshire County Council – when he applied for grants for 'good causes'. He is pictured here campaigning Zadrozny is seen arriving at Northampton Crown Court for the second day of his trial in August, in which he faced 12 counts of fraud by false representation and four counts of income tax evasionNational electoral law means if a vacancy occurs less than six months before a scheduled local election, no by-election takes place.This means residents of Zadrozny's ward will be without a representative on the district council until the scheduled election on May 6 next year. Last month, the Government ordered a rapid review into Ashfield District Council after concerns were raised about its leadership and governance.Michelle Welsh, Labour MP for Sherwood Forest, and Lee Anderson, Reform UK MP for Ashfield, said they 'welcome this intervention from the Government', but believe a police investigation is 'necessary'.Ms Welsh and Mr Anderson sent a joint letter to the chief constable of Nottinghamshire Police, Steve Cooper, saying they had learned of 'deeply concerning' allegations.They said the alleged issues relate to the council's planning department and the authority's contract procurement processes.Several councillors for the Ashfield Independents group, which has control of the council, quit the party after Zadrozny was convicted.Zadrozny, of Stanton Hill, was accused of pocketing £10,300 in public money from the county council fund, which was supposed to go to good causes between 2018 and 2021. Zadrozny was acquitted on three fraud charges but was found guilty on the remaining nine - five of them by a unanimous verdictIt was alleged Zadrozny did this by setting up a 'front' organisation called the Ashfield Heritage Society and by taking money from another organisation he was involved with, the Classic Cinema Club.After a jury at Northampton Crown Court deliberated for ten hours and 47 minutes, the councillor was told he faces a custodial sentence.A councillor is only disqualified from their position if they receive a prison sentence of three months or more, meaning that, in theory, Zadrozny could have remained as a councillor as he has been bailed until his sentencing hearing on November 27.The politician faced 12 counts of fraud by false representation and four counts of income tax evasion during the trial, which lasted for nearly a month.Zadrozny was acquitted on three of the fraud charges but was found guilty on the remaining nine – five of them by a unanimous verdict. The majority verdict on the other four fraud charges saw 11 jurors find the politician guilty and just one find him not guilty.The jury unanimously found Zadrozny guilty on all four of the income tax evasion charges he faced.The income tax charges comprised allegations that Zadrozny was knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax on four Ashfield properties he rented out between 2007 and 2022.In a statement, the 46-year-old previously said: 'I recognise the importance of public trust in those who hold office and the concern this case has caused. I am sincerely sorry for the impact on residents and colleagues.'The Ashfield Independents party has run Ashfield District Council since 2018 under Zadrozny, with a huge majority.The councillor previously had a two-year stint as the Liberal Democrat leader of Ashfield District Council between 2007 and 2009.Zadrozny also served on Nottinghamshire County Council for nearly 20 years before he was unseated by Reform UK in the May 2025 local elections.The politician had recently confirmed his plans to step away from politics when his current term on Ashfield District Council ended in 2028.