West Norfolk councillor 'receiving death threats' over Tenerife pool video
A West Norfolk councillor who was filmed being dragged out of a pool in Tenerife by police has said she has received death threats in response to the video.
Jo Rust, who represents the Springwood area on West Norfolk Council, was arrested following the incident at a hotel where she was staying earlier this month.
Mrs Rust, who is also a Labour activist and was a parliamentary candidate for North West Norfolk in last year's General Election, said she appeared in court the following day and was released without charge after apologising to the judge and expressing remorse.
She said: "I've gone from being a stalwart of the community, trying to save our NHS, volunteering at the night shelter, and organising litter picks, to somebody who receives death threats."
Mrs Rust said, prior to leaving for their holiday, she and her husband had been researching the situation in Spain and the Canary Islands, but had not received any information from their tour operator or Ryanair, who they were flying with, to suggest they should not go.
"After the General Election and Christmas, I went straight back to work. I needed a break, and we couldn't afford to lose that money.
"It was our holiday that we'd saved hard for – it's a big thing to throw away £1,200."
So they went on their holiday to Tenerife, believing there to be a partial lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak, but no more serious restrictions than this.
"We thought it was in lockdown, but it was a national state of emergency, which are two very different things," she said.
"We thought, we can't go out as much but we'll still be able to go out."
At this point, they were told they could use all the facilities at the hotel, but they were not to go out onto the streets, unless to go to a supermarket or a pharmacy.
Guests were also still spending time in communal areas, she said, and she took a photo of numerous people together in a restaurant area the night before the incident.
The following day there were more restrictions, and so they were told they would have to spend more time in their room.
"I thought, if we've got to spend more time in our room, then I will ask for an upgrade, which we were entitled to, but we were told we couldn't have one, as the room needed to be cleaned," Mrs Rust said.
She said she would have been "more than capable" of cleaning the room, but she was told she could not.
"I thought, if we've got to stay in our room, then I'm just going to for a swim before that.
"This isn't me demanding an upgrade, I would have cleaned the room."
So she went for the swim, and that's when she was filmed in the pool with hotel staff and police surrounding the area.
"Our police communicate in a different way, I couldn't understand what they were saying and if they had said 'you have got to get out', then obviously I would have.
"They were shouting and there was a lot of hostility. I was scared and I was stupid enough to think 'if I stay in here, they are going to go away'.
"I certainly didn't expect that going for a swim would result in this amount of venom and hate."
She was arrested and taken to a police station, but Mrs Rust said her husband did not know where she was.
The following day she attended court, where she apologised and was released without charge.
"I said sorry to the judge, I'm a supporter of our public services, it's not my intention to go anywhere and act out of character to how I would act in the UK."
She said if she could change things, she would not have gone in the pool, or just not gone on the holiday in the first place.
"Had I gone on the holiday, with the benefit of hindsight, having all that knowledge, I would have never gone in the pool," Mrs Rust said.
"With the benefit of hindsight, I would have willingly lost the money, at least I would not have lost everything else that I face losing.
"I have got to acknowledge the fact that the work I do, I'm a borough councillor, this is going to jeopardise that.
"One stupid thing and I risk losing everything."
