Prospective councillors verbally assaulted in Harold Wood.

Two females sworn at and intimidated as they went out delivering last week.

Three Havering Residents Association prospective councillors were out delivering newsletters when a verbal altercation occurred with a man delivering the ‘Bulletin’ newsletter from the three local Harold Wood councillors.

The incident happened last Thursday 21 April just after 11 am on Church Road when Adela, Marion and Dan from the Havering Residents Association came across a man delivering the opposition newsletter.

Marion asked the deliverer if he was going to deliver at Court Avenue and could they have a copy of the Bulletin newsletter. It was at this point the man answered with ‘F**k off you’re a b**ch, you’re a c**t, more than once.

Marion then held her hand out to see if she could get a copy of the newsletter, which the man responded by saying, ‘If you touch me I’ll break your f**king hand. I’m going to report you.’ At this stage the man then used his mobile phone to make a call and the two ladies left and moved on to The Avenue.

Councillors Martin Goode and Darren Wise then arrived and began talking to the two ladies who had been verbally assaulted.

The two prospective councillors were very shaken up and Marion has since said she will not go out delivering on her own following this assault. The matter was reported to the police for further investigation.

Councillor Gillian Ford told the Havering Daily:

“I received a phone call from Marion who was very shaken following this awful assault. The language used against the two ladies is appalling. They should not be talking to women or anyone else like that. This comes after we all agreed to uphold the Jo Cox pledges. This is totally unacceptable.

“Unfortunately Councillor Goode has a reputation of being a misogynist. No apology was given for the way the two ladies were treated.”

In response the Harold Wood Councillors told the Havering Daily:

“We were not present at the time of the alleged altercation. Cllr Goode was made aware by our Bulletin deliverer that some HRA individuals were intimidating him and that they were trying to grab some Bulletins. Cllr Goode and Cllr Wise who were in the area at the time, did discuss this matter with the two candidates (Adela and Dan) and the resident whom were all present at the time, saying that they had received a complaint from their Bulletin deliverer and that they need to be careful as this resident had recently been very ill and nearly died in hospital, though he had confirmed that he was well enough to undertake his Bulletin delivery.

“We mentioned to both the resident and the deliverer that they are both within their rights to take this matter forward with the authorities if they so wish. The deliverer is a member of the public and undertakes the delivery on a voluntary basis and whilst we were not witness to the altercation we would not condone anyone to use that language to any member of the public and likewise we would expect our deliverer to be able to go about their business without any fear of intimidation from others.Since the alleged incidence the Deliver will no longer be delivering our Bulletins.”