Police are investigating a complaint against Norfolk Cllr Shimit Patel

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Posted: 7:02 PM January 31, 2022

Police have opened an investigation into allegations of misconduct by a councilor in West Norfolk.

West Norfolk Borough Council had started its own inquiry into member Shimit Patel’s standards but has now put that inquiry on hold while police complete their own inquiries.

At a hearing in December, Mr Patel, a Tory, reportedly apologized after he admitted his guilt over the allegations – but details of the case have yet to be revealed.

Conservative Councilor Shimit Patel – Credit: The Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk

That hearing was delayed because panel members would need more time to consider the findings of the authority’s initial investigation into the case.

A spokesperson for the council said at the time that it “would not comment on the subject matter of the complaint as Councilor Patel is entitled to have due process followed fairly and in accordance with the law”.

The rehearing was set for Monday this week, but as the meeting began, panel chairman Simon Nash said he could no longer consider the case.

He said: “Since the meeting on December 15, information has been provided to me which, in my opinion, calls into question the quality of the investigation which gave rise to this hearing.”

The Independent Councilor said that on Friday January 28 he “received notification from Norfolk Constabulary that at my request they would be contacting the Borough Council Executive to discuss one of the allegations made in connection of this case”.

He added: “Based on the information provided to me independently, I am of the opinion that my position on this panel has been significantly compromised and that my continued participation in this hearing would be inappropriate.”

Tory adviser Vivienne Spikings, who said she was speaking on Mr Patel’s behalf, said she was ‘deeply disgusted’ by Mr Nash’s ‘incredible dialogue’ – which she claimed to have conducted ‘behind the scenes “.

Conservative Councilor Vivienne Spikings – Photo: Sarah Hussain

She said the entire panel had been discredited and six weeks had been lost between the two hearings as “people went behind the scenes, digging and digging their own way”.

Ms Spikings also separately referred to an email which she said had “racial tones” and which used an expletive to refer to Mr Patel three times.

She said, “We have a story of two halves. Let’s say it all. If you want to do it, do everyone transparently. This can’t go on.”

Labor adviser Christine Hudson, who replaced Mr Nash as panel chair, replied: ‘We the panel agree with you that the investigation is completely substandard and the whole incident needs to be reconsidered. in depth.

Christine Hudson, Labor Advisor – Photo: Labor Party

“We have so much information that we, the panel, are going to investigate.”

She added that it was not even stated in the report whether Mr Patel had been informed of his rights.

Mr Nash said after the meeting that he found Ms Spikings’ description of him ‘inappropriate’ and would like her to ‘specify exactly what she thinks I have done that is so disgusting’.

He said he had concerns, stemming from the report seen by advisers at the December hearing, that there was “perhaps a criminal allegation involved” in the case, and that he had decided to take the case to the police.

He said he separately received an email from the complainant that led him to doubt the quality of the council’s investigation.

He added that it was the Complainant who approached him rather than the other way around and that once he read an email he was not able to read it again.

Mr Patel, who was not present at the hearing, later said he had no comment.

A spokeswoman for Norfolk Police confirmed they received a misconduct report in relation to the initial allegation.

“Officers are currently working alongside the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk to determine if a crime has taken place,” she said.

A council spokeswoman said it would not be appropriate to comment during ongoing investigations and added that another hearing would be called as soon as possible.

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