Councillor cleared of bullying parish clerk

Melanie Smart, former clerk of Bradfield Parish Council, Sheffield, won damages of 30,000 for unfair dismissal after saying she was bullied by former chairman Coun Malcolm Glover.

After the tribunal, the case was referred to Sheffield Council's standards committee, which oversees conduct at all the city's parish councils, but members threw out the bullying claim.

Coun Glover was instead found to have breached Bradfield Parish Council's code of conduct and he has been told to take training courses.

Sheffield Council's director of legal services, Frances Woodhead, has confirmed to Coun Glover there was no case to answer regarding bullying.

But she said he had breached the Code of Conduct which says councillors must not conduct themselves in a manner which could be regarded as bringing their office into disrepute.

Coun Glover was also found to have breached the code which says members should not use or attempt to use their position improperly to confer on or secure for themselves or any other person an advantage or

disadvantage.

The standards committee said he played a key role in the dismissal of the clerk and in this context the parish council had been brought into disrepute.

Coun Glover has been censured regarding the proper procedures when dismissing the former clerk stating he would have been expected to have sought appropriate advice.

And he has been requested to undertake training in respect of the Code of Conduct and in conducting effective staff disciplinary and grievance investigations.

Coun Glover was not available for comment.