Formal complaint over insults at Tower Hamlets council meeting

Insults hurled from the public gallery of a council meeting have triggered a formal complaint to town hall chiefs.

Tory representative Cllr Gloria Thienel has submitted a grievance after she was subjected to shouts of “Susan Boyle” - a former Britain’s Got Talent contestant – when making a speech in the chamber.

Despite the presence of council officers, no action against hecklers was taken at last night’s meeting.

In a letter to the council’s head of paid services, Stephen Halsey, Cllr Thienel wrote: “I wish to make a complaint regarding the behaviour of people sitting in the public gallery disrupting council meetings yet again.

“We are unable to carry out the duties of a councillor and full council because of the abuse to councillors from the other parties by these people, heckling, shouting abuse and loud clapping.

“You have officers on duty in the public gallery who do hear this and do nothing to stop this.”

Other councillors have previously raised concerns about the use of Bengali used in the chamber and from members of the public in the gallery.