Worthing councillor reprimanded for '˜rude' poster

A WORTHING councillor who posted a four-letter expletive on his website “brought his office into disrepute”, a disciplinary hearing.

Bob Smytherman, Liberal Democrat councillor for Tarring, appeared before Worthing Borough Council’s standards determination sub-committee on Wednesday, September 15, charged with breaching the council’s code of conduct.

The sub-committee unanimously decided there had been a breach and gave him an official reprimand.

Mr Smytherman was censured and ordered to issue a written apology within seven days, which would be published on the council website and circulated to the press.

Committee chairman David Watson said: “Councillor Smytherman published an item, and although the picture wasn’t offensive, the caption was. We therefore consider there has been a breach and councillor Smytherman has brought his office into disrepute.”

The disciplinary hearing was called after council leader Paul Yallop made a complaint about Mr Smytherman’s use of the four-letter word, which offended rival Tories.

Former Lib Dem councillor John Lovell, represented Mr Smytherman said at the hearing: “We accept the cartoon was placed on the website, which showed a lack of judgement and a lack of taste.

“As soon as it was brought to councillor Smytherman’s attention he removed the cartoon and issued an apology on his website.”

Worthing Borough Council has re-published the swear word and anti-Tory cartoon which appeared on Mr Smytherman’s website onto their own website.

The offensive term can be viewed on the council’s website as part of the official papers for the hearing, which is accessible by the public.

The council’s monitoring officer Jeremy Cook said: “It would be inappropriate not to provide the word in the report because the public would not understand what the report relates to.”