Councillor speaks about abuse after death threat

Councillor Carolyn Trowbridge was forced to move home after the death threat after she was elected in 2021

A councillor has spoken out about the abuse she has received since being elected, including a death threat posted through her letter box.

Carolyn Trowbridge said she was planning to stand down from Staffordshire County Council at the next election during a recent meeting.

The Conservative member for Stafford West said she and her family were forced to move house soon after an anonymous death threat was posted to her address shortly after she was re-elected in 2021.

She told Thursday’s meeting that she was pleased to see increased security at the County Buildings in Stafford, which had been requested by councillors.

She said: “Some of the councillors are feeling targeted – it is an absolute joke in this day and age that anyone should feel targeted in any way.

"I had to move house because I was targeted – it frightened me, for my children."

She added that she was not intending to stand at the local election in Staffordshire next year but said she would continue to serve her community.

She said she also received abusive emails following her attendance at a public inquiry on plans to house asylum seekers in former university accommodation in Beaconside, Stafford.

“It’s a thankless job. The harder you work, the more abuse you get,” she added.

Councillor Syed Hussain said he has been the victim of racist abuse since he was elected

Labour councillor Syed Hussain, Burton Trent representative, also spoke of the racist abuse he received after being elected as the authority’s first Muslim councillor in 2017.

He said: “I am proud of this place and my colleagues for their support. And I am sure this place will continue to be a place of local government excellence.

“Racism is a poison and should have no place in our society. I deplore racist attacks on any politicians based on their skin colour, faith or gender.”

Councillor Alan White, the authority’s leader, said he condemned abuse and racism “in any form”.

“We live in a society which is sadly polarising in a way which I have not seen in my lifetime,” he added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.