Shocked councillor apologises for ‘black’ police comment

'When the confusion was brought to my attention I clarified the point'

A ‘shocked’ Torbay councillor has changed a social media post in which she appeared to reference the ethnicity of police officers on patrol in Torquay.

Conservative councillor Hazel Foster (Wellswood) said she had made a mistake when she wrote the post on Facebook ‘at speed’ and had been horrified when she realised what she had said.

She only realised what she had written when it was pointed out to her by Torbay Council’s monitoring officer following a complaint.

Cllr Foster had been discussing policing in the town centre when she wrote: “I’ve just driven through Torquay. Police van parked in front of town hall and two black officers walking past the closed Castle pub.”

Ellacombe Liberal Democrat councillor Jermaine Atiya-Alla, who is the council’s spokesman on racial equality and inclusion, complained to monitoring officer Amanda Barlow about the Facebook post.

After assessing the matter, Ms Barlow said Cllr Foster had been writing as a private individual, and not a councillor, which meant she had not breached the Town Hall’s code of conduct.

But, she said, the Facebook post had caused harm and offence, and she had asked Cllr Foster to take it down or amend it.

In a letter to Cllr Atiya-Alla she went on: “Whilst I have determined there was no mal intent from the comment made, following my discussion with Cllr Foster, it was nonetheless wholly inappropriate for the comment to have been made as the officers’ ethnicity was entirely irrelevant.”

Ms Barlow said Cllr Foster had been ‘genuinely shocked’ and apologised when the words she had written were drawn to her attention. She had not intended to say what she had.

The letter continues: “Cllr Foster (said that) had she seen the subsequent post asking, ‘what has the colour of their skin got to do with it’, she would have re-read her post and amended it immediately, realising her error which she said she had written at speed.

“Whilst I believe Cllr Foster made a genuine error and there wasn’t any mal intent, it does demonstrate that even in error, harm can be caused by the language we choose to use and it is clear that this was a learning opportunity for Cllr Foster.”

Asked to comment on the issue, Cllr Foster said: “I was referring to two officers who were both wearing black uniforms.

“When the confusion was brought to my attention I clarified the point.”