Understand
Five Whitby councillors resign amid conduct investigation and staff treatment concerns
Overview
Five councillors have resigned from Whitby Town Council ahead of a meeting addressing allegations of inappropriate conduct and staff treatment. An independent investigation prompted recommendations to ban two of the former councillors, Jacqui Layman and Chris Riddolls, from council premises including Pannett Art Gallery and Whitby Museum. While Layman has denied the confidential allegations, all five resigning members published a joint open letter criticising the council's transparency and financial management, which the council has rejected as misleading.
Key points
- Five councillors resigned from Whitby Town Council ahead of a staffing committee meeting discussing conduct investigations.
- Jacqui Layman and Chris Riddolls faced allegations of sustained inappropriate conduct and unacceptable treatment of staff.
- A staffing committee recommended banning Layman and Riddolls from Whitby Museum and Pannett Art Gallery, as well as restricting contact with council officers.
- Layman denied the allegations, stating she will respond if the confidential investigation report is published, while Riddolls declined to comment.
- Steve Smith, Amanda Smith, and Alf Abbott also resigned, releasing a joint open letter criticising the council's transparency and finances.
- Whitby Town Council rejected the former councillors' open letter as a misleading and incomplete account, defending its governance.