Swaffham councillor Graham Edwards, who is accused of bullying staff, orders that sanctions placed on him are ‘cancelled’

A councillor who has been accused of bullying staff has demanded the authority to “cancel” the sanctions enforced on him.

Last week, it was revealed that Swaffham councillor Graham Edwards has been barred from council buildings and removed from the committees he was part of.

Eight of his fellow councillors voted in favour of his removal from committees, as well as a lengthy list of restrictions that were placed on him.

However, Cllr Edwards does remain a councillor at Swaffham and is still allowed to attend meetings held at the town hall.

The councillor has now spoken out and confirmed to the Lynn News that he has demanded that the list of sanctions placed on him should be “cancelled immediately”.

He said: “I completely reject the accusations made against me and the ‘politics’ centred around what has gone on.

“I have much to say about all that has happened and am being advised by some serious people as to what has happened and what comes next.”

An extraordinary meeting was held last month about grievances made by its staff regarding Cllr Edwards.

Councillors voted for him to be removed from all committees, sub-committees and working groups that he was part of.

The bullying and harassment accusations come at the same time as fellow councillor Steph Cooper has been accused of a “serious breach” of conduct.

The council has agreed to submit a report to the monitoring officer at Breckland Council, which handles behavioural complaints, due to comments made by Cllr Cooper about the mayor of Swaffham, Cllr Lindsay Beech.

Swaffham Town Council is seeking a “full investigation” into this.

Separately, town clerk Helen Carrier has left her role.