Promotion of equality & respect : Saundersfoot Community Council

The Ombudsman received a complaint from a member of the public (“the complainant”) that a Member of Saundersfoot Community Council (“the Council”) had failed to observe the Code of Conduct for Members.

It was alleged that the Member approached the complainant and behaved aggressively towards him over a parking matter. The complainant alleged the Member had behaved in a bullying and intimidating manner and used his position to belittle and humiliate him.

The complainant said that the Member behaved in a way that was bullying and intimidating. The Member acknowledged there was an encounter but said that he did not behave poorly in the interaction. There is no other witness or CCTV evidence available. Having considered the evidence submitted from both of the parties involved, none of the information or evidence available suggested that one account should be preferred over the other. Therefore, in the absence of any independent evidence of the incident, the Ombudsman was unable to say whether the behaviour of the Member was suggestive of a breach of the Code of Conduct.

Further investigation of this matter was unlikely to yield any information which would alter the balance of evidence available and therefore it was not proportionate or in the public interest to continue the investigation.