Latest news with #PublicServicesOmbudsman
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ex-Tory councillor banned after saying white men should have black slaves
A former councillor who sent a racist message saying white men should have black slaves has been disqualified from serving on any authority for four years. Andrew Edwards, who had served as Tory member of Pembrokeshire County Council representing the Prendergast ward, stepped down in December 2024 and has now been found to have breached the code of conduct. He had left the Conservatives in 2023 when the 16-second recording first emerged, with Edwards previously claiming that it was a 'deep fake' created with malicious intent. In the recording, the person can be heard saying: "Nothing wrong with the skin colour at all. "I think all white men should have a black man as a slave or black woman as a slave, you know. "There's nothing wrong with skin colour, it's just that they're lower class than us white people." Am investigation by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales found that 'on balance' it was his voice on the recording, and referred the case to the Adjudication Panel for Wales. The businessman had also admitted sharing council information and comments about the public to his partner, saying he was 'venting' while under personal pressure. Having been banned for four years, he has the right to appeal the decision of the Adjudication Panel to the High Court. Independent candidate Alun Wills won the Prendergast ward following a by-election in February.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cardiff's Hailey Park noise complaint sees man get £1,000
A man who lives near a children's play area has received more than £1,000 in compensation after complaining about the homeowner told the Public Services Ombudsman that excessive noise from a multi-use games area in Hailey Park, Cardiff, was causing a nuisance and having a "substantial" impact on his January, the Ombudsman ruled Cardiff council had not taken appropriate action to address the problem and was told to offer £300 for the inconvenience and, if not resolved within eight weeks, to pay him £75 a week until it council said it had secured funding to develop plans for a new play area. This means the man has been getting £75 a week since mid March, totalling £900 on top of the initial £ this year, more than 1,000 people signed a petition opposing plans to remove the play area as a result of his complaint to the a public meeting, the council said the existing facilities would remain in place while work continued on a suitable mitigation plan. The homeowner who complained told the BBC he had been living with the problem for 10 years and having to confront people about noise at all hours of the day was having an impact on his quality of readings were taken as part of his complaint, he said, which showed a ball hitting the wire mesh in the play area reached 90 decibels - the level of noise of a lawnmower according to the World Health added: "From the very start of my complaint, I was always trying to find an alternative arrangement that would not affect children's opportunity to play and not affect any other residents in the same way that we have been affected. "A resolution is now being looked at, with new, better equipment in a more suitable location." The play area in Llandaff North is a concrete surface about the size of a five-a-side football pitch with metal mesh goals at each living nearby said they were shocked the complainant would get compensation until the noise issue is Rock, a committee member of community group Friends of Hailey Park, said: "It seems a real shame that public money is going to an individual in these circumstances. "I would rather that wasn't the case. I'm sure Cardiff Council can ill afford to hand over £300 a month to a private individual." Mr Rock said he was concerned this case "would set a really bad precedent"."The current location is a really good location, clearly there was a planning issue when the houses were built, that they shouldn't have been built so close to established play areas."Parents whose children play in the park said they were also unhappy, including Laura Kalirai who has a football-mad seven-year-old."I find it a bit worrying, how far can this go? Does this mean we're going to start having to pay for everybody to be compensated for things they don't like about where they live," she said. Rhys Trebilcock, whose son also uses the play area, called it "laughable". The council said: "Initial engagement with local school children and information sharing with the wider community will begin shortly, with a view to resolving the noise issue and delivering improved facilities for the community as quickly as possible."In the meantime, the council has agreed to comply with the recommendations set out by the ombudsman."
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Children's Law Centre wants ban on isolation in schools
Shutting a child alone in a room in school should be banned immediately, MLAs have is according to Rachel Hogan from the Children's Law Centre (CLC).Ms Hogan gave evidence to Stormont's Education Committee into pupils being restrained or put in isolation in schools.A written submission from the CLC said that "seclusion should never be used as an intervention in an education setting". The DUP MLA, Peter Martin, said there were some "extremely harrowing examples" of what had happened in Northern Ireland."The majority of these cases are occurring in relation to children with disabilities, often non-verbal young boys," Ms Hogan had said."It's so draconian, it's not the way we do things today," she later continued."There has been a significant delay in bringing forward promised changes."Ms Hogan said that it had been parents who had "dragged this difficulty into the light". 'Harm can be long term and lasting' Deirdre Shakespeare's son Harry was "restrained unnecessarily" in a chair in his school, a report by the public services watchdog previously Public Services Ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, later told MLAs that her investigation found that Harry had been subject to a level of restraint that "caused real distress".Mrs Shakespeare and some other parents have campaigned for "Harry's Law" to make it compulsory for schools to report when they have isolated or restrained a child."Restrictive practices can be harmful and that harm can be long term and lasting," Ms Hogan 2023, the Department of Education (DE) published draft guidance, saying restraint and seclusion should only be used as a last resort, after calls for tougher laws on when a child could be physically restrained in new laws have not yet been introduced. 'We heard of a child being tethered to a fence' The committee's deputy chair, Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan, said MLAs had previously heard of a child with autism who "had his hands tied to the chair with a schoolbag.""And more recently, we heard of a child being tethered to a fence," he continued."And his parents were totally unaware of that until they received the child's yearbook and there were photographs.""I can't even begin to process that, that is very shocking," Ms Hogan Hogan said that although DE had done a lot of work "there has been a significant delay in bringing forward promised changes"."How are we going to fix this if we don't reform the legislation that talks about force?" she asked."We need to make it easy for school leaders to know what to do."You should never use force in order to maintain discipline, particularly in relation to a disabled child."Use of any force to maintain order and discipline is just a whisker away from when we used to hit people at school, frankly." 'Inappropriate placements' causing difficulties Ms Hogan said that there was provision law for school staff to intervene if there was risk of "serious harm" to a pupil or member of said that teachers and school leaders should be thanked "for the difficult decisions they make every day".Ms Hogan also told MLAs that part of the difficulty was that the Education Authority (EA) was providing "inappropriate placements" in school for some children."A school has maybe said 'we can't meet the needs of this child,' and they're being placed anyway," she March, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) resigned from a taskforce set up by the department to look at the use of restraint and seclusion in schools. The RCN expressed serious concerns over the direction of travel by DE on the Department of Health had previously instructed that children and young people should never be shut in a room alone and prevented from Hilton has previously backed parents trying to toughen the law on restraint and seclusion in Northern Ireland's businesswoman has said she was placed in solitary confinement when at boarding school in the US as a teenager.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Lib Dem councillor ‘took part in pro-Palestine protest at police station'
Mr Majid, of M&M Solicitors, said: 'The conclusion of the matter today, resulting in one of the two charges laid against him being dismissed, is a great weight lifted off the shoulders of councillor Latif, who has had this matter hanging over his head for some time. 'Councillor Latif is pleased with the outcome of his case and is grateful to his legal team for their assistance and will now continue to serve his constituents in his capacity as councillor.' After the sentence, a Cardiff Council spokesman said: 'A conditional discharge by a magistrates' court does not preclude a Councillor from acting in the office of member of a Local Authority in Wales. 'In due course, it will be a matter for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to consider whether the actions of the councillor will meet the threshold of an investigation of a potential breach of Cardiff Council's Members' Code of Conduct.' The Welsh Liberal Democrats said they will now review the incident that took place in June 2024 through their internal processes.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lib Dem councillor ‘took part in pro-Palestine protest at police station'
Imran Latif will be allowed to continue his role as councillor for Penylan ward - @ A Liberal Democrat councillor took part in a pro-Palestine protest at a police station, a court has heard. Imran Latif, 45, walked into Cardiff Bay police station in June and chained himself to another protester at the front desk, a court has heard. The councillor, who has sat on Cardiff council since 2022, pleaded guilty at Cardiff magistrates' court to locking himself to a person to cause significant disturbance at a police station. He was acquitted of one other charge. Despite his conviction, he is set to continue his role as councillor for the Penylan ward. The 45-year-old has sat on Cardiff council since 2022 - @ The court heard the incident took place just hours after 50 to 60 people protested against the war in Gaza by walking through Cardiff city centre. Protesters went to the police station over concerns about someone who had been arrested at the demonstration, the court was told. South Wales Police said 16 people were arrested after the spontaneous protest at the front desk at 9.30pm on June 3. 'Fully realises the foolishness of that moment' Nadeem Majid, representing Latif, said he was not part of the demonstration that had taken place in the city centre earlier that day. Mr Majid said the councillor had attended the scene at the police station to find out what was going on. He said Latif 'fully realises the foolishness' of that moment and added that 'to his credit, he has been fully transparent'. Latif, who was suspended by his party after his arrest, was handed an 18-month conditional discharge by District Judge Mark Layton. He was also ordered to pay a total of £776 at Cardiff magistrates' court. A second charge of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause a disturbance was dismissed after no evidence was offered. A second charge of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause a disturbance was dismissed - @ Mr Majid, of M&M Solicitors, said: 'The conclusion of the matter today, resulting in one of the two charges laid against him being dismissed, is a great weight lifted off the shoulders of councillor Latif, who has had this matter hanging over his head for some time. 'Councillor Latif is pleased with the outcome of his case and is grateful to his legal team for their assistance and will now continue to serve his constituents in his capacity as councillor.' After the sentence, a Cardiff Council spokesman said: 'A conditional discharge by a magistrates' court does not preclude a Councillor from acting in the office of member of a Local Authority in Wales. 'In due course, it will be a matter for the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales to consider whether the actions of the councillor will meet the threshold of an investigation of a potential breach of Cardiff Council's Members' Code of Conduct.' The Welsh Liberal Democrats said they will now review the incident that took place in June 2024 through their internal processes. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
