A councillor who used a work computer to watch pornography

     
Is this Britain's worst councillor? First he uses official computer for porn, then he insults women officials - and now he is caught calling sex lines on work phone.

A councillor who used a work computer to watch pornography has now racked up a £2,400 taxpayer-funded phone bill after sending vile messages and calling premium rate sex lines.

Councillor Robert Bleakley, a representative of Tyldesley in Wigan, Greater Manchester, sent the shocking texts - discovered after he racked up the huge bill - on his council phone. 

Now female council officers have been instructed not to talk to the disgraced 43-year-old independent councillor - who has been described as ‘having a problem with women.’

In one, discussing the court case of former politician Chris Huhne and ex-wife Vicky Pryce, he said ‘I hope she likes porridge’ and that he hoped she would be sexually assaulted in jail.

And he texted, in reference to another woman he'd seen on the television news: ‘Someone please tell her to f*** off and don't come back’, a cross-party standards board panel heard.

Mr Bleakley also sent one reading: ‘Aren't they f*****g idiots. No wonder women are just cooking and washing material.'

Council meeting: The chief executive of Wigan Council said she was 'appalled and sickened' by the messages

It is not the first time Mr Bleakley, who lives in an £80,000 two-bedroom terraced home, has faced a scandal - after he was found in March to have accessed pornography on his council computer.

He was also found to have deliberately altered a council email in an attempt to smear a senior officer. At the latest standards hearing, the panel judged he had breached the members’ code of conduct.

Councillor Bleakley, who now represents Wigan Independents, did not attend the hearing and has had his council mobile withdrawn and will be ordered to undergo equal opportunities training.

Donna Hall, chief executive of Wigan Council, said: ‘I am appalled and sickened with the language used in these messages.

‘It is quite clear, judging by the content of the text messages, that he has a problem with women. I will not tolerate this prejudice, nor will I allow him to come into contact with female officers until he has undertaken equal opportunities training.

‘After reviewing the evidence the panel agreed that Coun Bleakley had broken the council’s ICT policy and breached sections of the members’ code of conduct when he used his mobile phone inappropriately.

‘As a result, Coun Bleakley was given a number of sanctions, including the removal of his IT equipment, including his mobile phone, removal of his internet access.

'He must also undergo equal opportunities training, and female officers will be instructed not to speak to him.’

In 2004 the councillor was disqualified for three years after he verbally abused a female cleaner at Wigan town hall and threatening to get the sack after a minor traffic accident.

The Standards Board of England, which oversees councillors' conduct, investigated him and ruled that he was 'aggressive, domineering and intimidating'.

Mr Bleakley was also aggressive to a member of the public who raised an objection to a planning application, and published a leaflet containing false allegations that other councillors had threatened a council officer.

At the time, Sir Anthony Holland, chairman of the Standards Board for England, said: "We carried out a thorough investigation into the issues and are pleased with the verdict.

"We care about local democracy and do no want to see its name tarnished by the poor behaviour of people like ex-councillor Bleakley."

Mr Bleakley stood as the Lib Dem's parliamentary candidate for Worsley, Greater Manchester, in the 1997 and 2001 general elections.

At the time of the 2004 investigation he was leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Wigan Council.

He was suspended again for six months in 2010 after being accused of bullying an ex-policewoman who got a job as a community safety officer and branding her ‘that woman’ during meetings.

He had also been investigated by police over accusations of misconduct in a public office but was told he would face no criminal charges.