Neil Wilby Media

A male councillor who was arrested at his home in the Hollinwood district of Oldham on 8th September, 2022, on suspicion of rape, remains on police bail just short of a year later.

That bald statement follows protracted correspondence over a press request first made to Greater Manchester Police over a month ago and finally concluded in a terse exchange yesterday afternoon (18th August, 2023) when the force reluctantly confirmed, on pain of legal challenge, that his custody status had not changed from their last update in April, 2023.

The councillor, whom robustly denies any wrongdoing, was de-selected by his own Party and did not stand in the May, 2023, local elections. He did, however, continue to attend Full Council, committee meetings and training days at Oldham Civic Centre up to the end of the last municipal year.

The next full meeting of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council is listed to take place on Wednesday 6th September, 2023 at 6pm. A protest by friends and supporters of the subject ex-councillor, led by another controversial ex-Member, Warren Bates, is expected to take place, prior and during that renewal, to mark the near anniversary of his arrest which took place on the day after the corresponding meeting in 2022 and, in which, he played a notable and noisy part.

UPDATE: Since the publication of this article on 19th August, 2023 it has emerged that Oldham Council has removed the perspex security screens from the three sides of the civic chamber that enclose the public gallery. These have kept councillors safe over the past several years in the face of repeated and troubling scenes of public disorder at council meetings. Warren Bates was one of the worst offenders before he received a one year ban after climbing onto the screens, repeatedly banging them and attempting to pull them down.

The Council’s press office has been asked to provide a statement that deals with, amongst other questions, why councillors, especially female, located at the back of the chamber and near those security screens, were not consulted.

The resultant article can be read in full here. It does not make pretty reading for the Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah.

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Page last updated: Wednesday 20th August, 2023 at 09h45

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Picture credit: Oldham Council

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