Sandwell Council – Probe launched into claims leisure boss sent 'lewd phone messages'

Sandwell Council's leisure boss Richard Marshall is alleged to have made lewd remarks about councillors' Maria Crompton and Olwen Jones in a Whatsapp chat.

Now the alleged victims have been informed by the Labour party that an investigation has been launched, and will be conducted 'as a matter of urgency'.

Mr Marshall, who was elected as the Labour-controlled authority's councillor for Smethwick in 2014, has been informed of the probe, but has not been suspended by the party.

It comes as Government Communities Secretary Sajid Javid agreed to meet with Labour's West Bromwich West MP Adrian Bailey to discuss the alleged abuse.

Tividale councillor Mrs Crompton, who works for Mr Bailey at his Sandwell office, welcomed the investigation, but said she was 'extremely disappointed' at how long Labour had taken to respond to the allegations.

"It is upsetting that he [Mr Marshall] has not been suspended," she added. "Myself and Olwen are frightened to go into the council house in case he is there."

The issue was raised in the House of Commons this week during a debate on sexual harassment in Parliament, where ministers vowed to crackdown on the way complaints are handled.

Mr Bailey urged the Leader of the House, Andrea Leadsom, to ensure that the same 'robust policies and procedures' would also apply to councillors and staff in local government.

In response Mrs Leadsom said that Communities Secretary Mr Javid would be happy to meet him to discuss the issue.

Mr Bailey told the Express & Star: "I was encouraged by the reaction of both Andrea Leadsom and Sajid Javid and will be in contact with them in the near future with a view to discussing independent adjudication with regards to the allegations of sexual harassment and bullying."

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has yet to address the Sandwell allegations in public.

Asked whether the Labour party had an issue with the abuse of MPs staff, he said: "I don't think harassment, bullying and abuse rests with one party. I think it exists across the whole society.

"We need to deal with our own issues. The institutional framework that we deal with these issues with needs to be strengthened both in Parliament and in the political parties."

He added: "We need to make sure that staff members who work for MPs or work in Parliament can feel very, very confident that they will go to work safe.

"And if there is an issue that happens in the workplace that they will be properly represented and confidently listened to."

The West Midlands regional Labour party declined to comment.

Mr Marshall did not respond to the Express & Star's request for a comment.