‘Time to go’ plea

Saddleworth Parish Council review the legalities of Cllr Mike Buckley's position

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A COUNCILLOR who downloaded images of naked boys on his computer has been ostracised from key parish council roles.

Saddleworth parish councillors urged Mike Buckley to resign at a full council meeting last night in his absence.

They agreed to dissolve committees on which he served. The council’s environment, estates, finance and planning committee members were re-elected without him.

Councillor Buckley (68) was also not re-elected to serve as a delegate on the conservation areas advisory committee, Saddleworth & Lees District Partnership or the strategic planning committee.

At a court case in December he was ordered by a judge to take part in the Internet Sexual Offenders’ Treatment Programme which involves 35, two-hour sessions with extra work in between. He is also subject to supervision by the probation service for two years and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years. He is also serving a 28-day curfew between 8am and 4pm.

Last night, proposing the motion to remove him from committees, Councillor Paul Fryer said they couldn’t remove Councillor Buckley from the parish council.

“But we do not wish to work with him,” he said. “We want to give a sign to the people of Saddleworth that we will not tolerate what Councillor Buckley has done. He should be as far away from this council as possible.”

Lib-Dem leader Councillor Alan Belmore, said: “Councillor Buckley’s crimes are abhorrent. If there was a mechanism to remove him from his position I would be voting for it. Instead I offer him this plea — it is time for you to go. Your crimes are not a personal matter we should choose to ignore. If you had one ounce of remorse you know you have to go.”

He said Buckley had been charged with offences in March last year, despite which members had elected Buckley as chair of the planning committee.

But independent councillor Robert Knotts said: “Councillor Buckley was innocent until proven guilty and we had no right to say what he could and couldn’t do. It is a very sad state of affairs.”

Councillor Buckley, who didn’t attend, had requested a four-month leave of absence from the committees, but the request was found invalid.