Bracknell forest councillor sanctioned for bad language
Conservative councillor used language described as 'quite appalling'
Last updated 10th Dec 2024
A long-serving councillor has been sanctioned for breaking Bracknell Forest Council’s code of conduct after saying she would ‘kick the f*g head in’ of an officer.
Councillor Dorothy Hayes MBE was accused of using ‘totally inappropriate’ language towards two members of staff at Times Square on March 12.
The complaint, brought by CEO of the council Susan Halliwell, involved Cllr Hayes’ conversation with recently retired planning officer Max Baker.
On March 12, a junior colleague to Mr Baker – who wanted to remain anonymous – said: “Look out, Dot’s coming”.
‘Dot’ is a commonly known nickname for Councillor Hayes at the council, according to Solicitor Richard Lingard’s report.
Clle Hayes then approached the two officers and said something along the lines: “I can lip read you know. Watch it, or I’ll kick your f*g head in.”
While one officer reported she used the word ‘head’, another thought she had said ‘face’ – but both agreed that she had sworn.
The Conservative ward member for Winkfield East and Warfield who has served on the council for 21 years, admitted to using the swear word at a Code of Conduct panel at Bracknell Forest Council on Tuesday morning (December 10).
While Ms Halliwell said the language used was ‘quite appalling and thoroughly disrespectful’, Cllr Hayes claimed the conversation was ‘banter’ and that neither officer at the time had taken offence.
But her representative Colin Dudley said she was ‘extremely remorseful’ over her use of language and that she would like to apologise to the officers involved.
Solicitor Mr Lingard, who undertook an independent investigation into the claims, said that Cllr Hayes had been particularly ‘unresponsive’ during his attempts to question her over video call.
He wrote in a final report to the panel: “I found Cllr Hayes’ employment of diversionary tactics and her uncooperative filibustering attitude towards me and my attempt to be conciliatory in a genuine effort to move this investigation forward completely unproductive.
“The zoom session I had with her was so disjointed and argumentative on her part that it was useless…it became so unstructured that, frankly, it was of no value.”
Cllr Hayes had been approached three times to answer five questions by Mr Lingard but had failed to respond to them.
Her representative, Councillor Colin Dudley from Winkfield Parish Council took issue with the nature in which the investigation had been carried out.
Cllr Dudley accused the council of providing an ‘incomplete account of the facts’ with the investigator having a ‘predetermined finding of wrongdoing’.
Speaking on behalf of Cllr Hayes for the entirety of the hearing, Cllr Dudley said that she had wanted to apologise to Mr Baker and maintained a good relationship with him.
Mr Lingard said: “My view is that whatever bantering relationship Councillor Hayes and Max Baker had built up over the years…the kind of language which Councillor Hayes used for no apparent purpose on that occasion seems to me totally inappropriate…it demonstrates a lack of respect at the most basic level.”
Sanction
The panel ruled that Cllr Hayes had broken the council’s Code of Conduct.
Officers recommended an ‘outward facing’ set of sanctions for Cllr Hayes to be ‘faced in the court of public opinion’.
Panel members, comprised of Councillor Nick Allen, Councillor Adrian Haffegee and Councillor Michael Karim, as well as independent members, ruled the council would give Ms Hayes behavioural training and order a written apology to the officers involved.
They also said the matter would be referred to the Conservative group ‘to consider whether any action needs to be taken’ going forward.