Councillor Breaches Conduct Code Following Staff Threat Investigation

An investigation has concluded that a councillor, who used offensive language towards council employees and threatened to “kick them in the head,” violated the local authority’s code of conduct. Dorothy Hayes MBE, a councillor for Bracknell Forest, became the subject of a complaint initiated by the borough council’s chief executive, as staff members opted not to file a formal grievance. Susan Halliwell characterized Mrs. Hayes’ language as “quite appalling and thoroughly disrespectful,” stating her desire to prevent staff from “believing that they are going to be spoken to by a councillor in that way.” The Conservative councillor, who represents Winkfield and Warfield East, asserted that the interaction was “banter” and that the staff members involved were not offended, though she expressed regret. The investigation determined that the councillor approached two staff members at the council’s Time Square headquarters during March. According to one witness, the councillor instructed them to “watch it or I’ll kick your head in,” adding that she could lip-read and therefore knew what they had said as she approached. Richard Lingard, an investigator appointed by the council, reported that the councillor had been “unresponsive,” resulting in a Zoom call concerning the incident becoming “disjointed and argumentative.” Mrs. Dudley stated that the council presented an “incomplete account of the facts,” suggesting that Mr. Lingard had a “predetermined finding of wrongdoing.” She further claimed that her use of “robust” language was without malicious intent. Nevertheless, Mr. Lingard concluded that even if that were true, the conduct was “no less inappropriate for all that,” and that she had indeed violated the council’s code of conduct. On Tuesday, a panel of councillors concurred with his findings. The panel announced that Mrs. Hayes would undergo behavioural training and that a written apology would be mandated for the involved officers. Additionally, it was stated that the issue would be forwarded to the councillor’s Conservative group “to consider whether any action needs to be taken” in the future.