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Oct 2022

Last Updated: 19/10/2022

Politics

Harrogate councillor calls for officer to be sacked over abusive Twitter account

by Tamsin O'Brien

| 19 Oct, 2022

The leader of Harrogate and Knaresborough's Liberal Democrats calls for the dismissal of a senior council officer after the Stray Ferret revealed he was behind an anonymous, abusive Twitter account.

The leader of Harrogate and Knaresborough's Liberal Democrats has called for the dismissal of a senior council officer after the Stray Ferret revealed yesterday he was behind an anonymous, abusive Twitter account.

Steve Rogers, Harrogate Borough Council's parking enforcement manager, used the handle @ChippyGlory to send abusive and obscene tweets -— many directed at Liberal Democrat councillors.

Pat Marsh says she will be raising the issue as a matter of urgency with the council's chief executive, Wallace Sampson, at a meeting tomorrow.

Cllr Marsh says the revelation that the tweets came from a council officer are deeply unsettling.

""I am deeply, deeply concerned. The tweets I have seen are deeply offensive. How’s he got away with it without other people knowing it was him?

"I need to know what process he is undergoing. He can’t be in the role he is in. He has lost trust from all sides. Isn’t this instant dismissal?

"This has damaged the relationship councillors have with officers. You start to become concerned - it might be one rogue person but you don’t know.

"It raises issues of whether there is a toxic culture at the council – it is very unsettling. We have got to have a relationship of trust between councillors and officers. "

Many of Mr Rogers tweets were sexist and some explicit and obscene towards women.

Cllr Marsh, said she is angry that Mr Rogers has been tweeting for so long and will asking the council to take the following action:

That Mr Rogers is removed form a position where he has any daily supervision and work programming responsibilities with female members of staff.

That the council fully explores any other tweets of a similar nature that The Stray Ferret may have and are not publishing at this moment.

Investigate if the tweets were made using council equipment during the actual working hours i.e. was he engaging in this activity during time he was being paid by the council.

In yesterday's report, the Stray Ferret published a particularly abusive tweet Mr Rogers posted about the New Park Liberal Democrat councillor Matthew Webber. It was done with the consent of Cllr Webber to illustrate the nature of @ChippyGlory's posts.

Cllr Marsh paid tribute to Cllr Webber and said he was brave to agree to the tweet being published:

"It impacts on people hugely – Matthew Webber has had a difficult year with the loss of his father. His tweets were personal – it is not acceptable.

"It was very brave of him to let the Stray Ferret show the tweet about him. We will give him every support at this time. It is totally, totally unacceptable.

"To have this thrust out into the public arena is not acceptable - let alone if it's done an officer of the council."

She added that Cllrs Philip Broadbank and Chris Aldred who were also targeted by Mr Rogers have given years of service to the town of Harrogate:

"Philip has given more than 40 years service to this town. Chris has also worked very hard and I feel really angry on their behalf."

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Conservative councillor Nick Brown who was also the subject of Mr Rogers' derogatory tweets has called for his immediate suspension whilst the council investigates him.

"I am totally opposed to anonymous twitter accounts - it is a cowardly thing to do.

"I think he needs help, as do his 146 followers.

"What he is doing is totally obnoxious and he should be suspended immediately until a full investigation is completed."

The Stray Ferret will ask the council for a response to the councillors' demands.

Yesterday a spokesperson said:

“The council will consider any concerns in relation to the conduct of any of its officers and where appropriate investigate the matter in accordance with its policies and procedures.

“The council will not be commenting further at this time.”

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Harrogate councillor calls for officer to be sacked over abusive Twitter account

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