She’s been dubbed West Berkshire’s ‘Alan Bates’ for her nine years campaigning to get the council to refund home owners after they were charged thousands of pounds for doing paperwork wrong. Now Maria Dobson, from Kintbury, is celebrating. A cheque for £20,000 is in the post, along with six other home owners who were, in the words of the council leader, “disgracefully” charged thousands of pounds by “unpleasant and overzealous” officers. She says the flood gates for other claims are likely to follow, from West Berkshire residents and home owners who’ve faced a similar fate from other councils….