Wirral councillor faces action over alleged violent threats

Jul 29 2009 by Carrie Catterall, Birkenhead News

A WIRRAL councillor is to be reported to the Standards Committee after allegedly making a throat-cutting gesture during a meeting.

Council leader Cllr Steve Foulkes confirmed that he will be lodging a formal complaint against Conservative councillor Denis Knowles.

Cllr Knowles defected from Labour earlier this year.

It is claimed that the throat-cutting gesture was made towards his former Labour colleagues during a cabinet meeting held last week at Wallasey Town Hall.

Labour’s Cllr Foulkes said: “It was reported to me that there was unsuitable behaviour from Cllr Knowles. I stood up at the council meeting and said I would be investigating it.

“We are in the process of making a formal complaint and it will be a matter for the Standards Committee.”

The alleged threatening gesture was directed towards former Wirral mayor Cllr Adrian Jones and Leasowe Cllr Ron Abbey.

Frictions between Cllr Knowles and the Labour party peaked in May this year when Wirral’s Labour group said his defection was “unforgivable”.

Cllr Knowles responded by saying the policies pursued by Labour had “undermined people’s respect for our political system”. Cllr Knowles has vehemently denied the throat cutting gesture.

He said: “It was one of those meetings where there was a lot of arguing and as I attempted to speak, the whole of the Labour group shouted me down. I put my fingers across my mouth, as if to say ‘be quiet’.

“I did not, as some people say, strike my hand across my throat.”