From today's Leicester Mercury:
Race rant Leicestershire Councillor is suspended
A Leicestershire county councillor has been suspended for a month and told to undergo further diversity training over remarks he made at a public meeting.
Robert Fraser has admitted that he was "stupid" to say that Romanians would "stick a knife in you as soon as look at you", and that some Europeans "make the Irish look like complete amateurs".
A County Hall standards sub-committee found the councillor for Groby and Ratby behaved in a way that could have brought his position, and that of the council, into disrepute.
Members agreed he had breached Leicestershire County Council's code of conduct and he was reprimanded officially at a hearing on Tuesday.
Despite already having been to sent to diversity training by the county's Tory party, the committee ruled he must go again, ideally on a one-to-one basis, and pay the first £250 of the cost. For his month's suspension, which has started immediately, all allowances for that period will be withdrawn.
An investigation began after complaints were made about his conduct at a Groby Parish Council meeting to discuss plans for a site for about 50 caravans off Sacheverell Way in Groby.
The outburst was recorded and released on internet video site YouTube.
It was seen by hundreds of people online as well as hundreds more at the public meeting.
He responded to a comment from the audience by saying: "Some of these European ones, they make the Irish look like complete amateurs and I would dread, I would dread, to see them in Groby.
"The Romanians; they're lovely people they are. They'll stick a knife in you soon as look at you.
"There might be some good ones. Excuse me if there are any Romanians here. Hopefully without a knife. I've got to get out of here. I'm a bit slow.
"What's going to happen to the loved ones that have been buried in a cemetery with a transit site around the corner? We know what's going to happen there straight away. You can only imagine it.
"Over my dead body will they come here."
When the remarks came to light in March this year, two months after the meeting on January 8, chairman of the Leicester Gipsy Council liaison group, Alfie Kefford, called for Coun Fraser to resign and said the comments were akin to "incitement to racial hatred", adding: "To do it in a public place is totally unacceptable."
The Romanian ambassador to the UK, Dr Ion Jinga, said the comments were "extremely regrettable and totally unfair".
At the hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Councillor Fraser said only a few words and questions were directed to chairman of Groby Parish Council, Peter Batty, who was representing him.
Mr Batty argued that while Mr Fraser did not deny saying these things, he did not believe he was there in his capacity as a county councillor, so could not bring the authority or his position into disrepute.
He also argued it was the public's view which best showed whether he brought himself or the authority into disrepute, and he was re-elected in July.
He said: "He is not denying that he said those statements. He bitterly regrets them and is not making excuses.
"The video does not establish any relationship with Leicestershire County Council. You have no evidence that he was acting in his official capacity.
"The most reasonable test is of public opinion. I would suggest that Mr Fraser passed this test at the county council elections."
However, these arguments were firmly rejected by the panel.
Panel chairman Martin Caple said: "We are satisfied Mr Fraser made a derogatory statement and the comment did not fall into part of an acceptable opinion.
"Your conduct is in breach and you brought your office into disrepute and could have brought the authority into disrepute."
From today's Leicester Mercury:
Traveller site "will stop racism"
A travellers' site should be built in Groby to improve relations with residents, the leader of a gipsy group has claimed.
Alfred Kefford, chairman of Leicester Gipsy Council liaison group, made the call in the wake of "racist" comments made by a councillor at a public meeting to discuss plans for a travellers' site in Groby.
At the meeting, county councillor for Groby and Ratby Rob Fraser said Romanians would "stick a knife in you as soon as look at you" and that some Europeans "make the Irish look like complete amateurs".
Today Mr Kefford said: "They definitely need a site in Groby to stop the racism that came out of that meeting.
"Maybe if there was a site there, there could be better relations with the people there."
He said there was a "definite need" for a council-owned site in Groby.
Mr Kefford said: "If it is a council-owned site I am prepared to run it."Mr Kefford already runs a residential traveller site at Aston Firs, in Hinckley, which has 50 pitches.
But Peter Batty, parish council chairman and borough councillor for Groby, said he did not believe such a plan would do anything to improve relations.
He said: "Mr Kefford is entitled to his opinion.
"It's not one that will be shared by the majority of Groby's residents, or me.
"We've had more than our fair share of problems with travellers over the years.
"If he's interested in fostering relations, he needs to look at the experiences Groby residents have had with travellers.
"His viewpoint is naive. In the past the area has seen travellers moving in illegally, and they have not exactly covered themselves in glory.
"Groby is bursting at the seams. Our facilities are overstretched.
"It's got nothing to do with race. Our encounters with travellers have not left a pleasant memory. I think Mr Kefford needs to work on improving public relations and convince everyone that they can improve their behaviour."
Groby resident Frank Spurr, 81, said: "I don't think it would improve the relationship between residents and the travellers if they moved here.
"Property prices would no doubt come down and I think people may grow to resent that."
Fellow resident James Rose, 23, said: "Even if they were given a chance and there were no problems, I think people might still be unsure about them."
Hundreds of residents attended the meeting at Groby Community College on January 8 to discuss plans by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council for a transit site off Sacheverell Way.
Coun Fraser's comments sparked outrage from Mr Kefford when they were uploaded to the video website YouTube.
Coun Fraser was suspended from the Conservative group and ordered to take a diversity and equality course.
From today's Leicester Mercury:
"Racist" remarks probed by police
Police are investigating remarks made by a councillor at a meeting to discuss plans for a travellers' site.
Robert Fraser, county councillor for Groby and Ratby, said Romanians would "stick a knife in you as soon as look at you", and that some Europeans "make the Irish look like complete amateurs".
Travellers' spokesman, Alfred Kefford, said he was outraged by the Conservative councillor's "racist" comments.
He heard them after footage of the meeting was posted on video website YouTube. He complained to the police.
Today, Coun Fraser, a former county council member for equality, apologised and said he regretted the "spur-of-the-moment" remarks.
He made the comments at a Groby Parish Council meeting called after the Leicester Mercury revealed plans for a site for about 50 caravans off Sacheverell Way, in Groby.
Responding to an audience member who spoke about the level of knife crime allegedly linked to the travelling community, Coun Fraser said: "The Romanians, they'll stick a knife in you as soon as look at you.
"There might be some good ones. Forgive me if there are any Romanians here (the audience laughs) and hopefully that's a 'no' because I wouldn't get out of here (he points at a walking stick). I'm a bit slow."
He also told the audience: "By gosh, some of these European ones, they make the Irish look like complete amateurs and I would dread, I would dread to see them in Groby."
Mr Kefford, chairman of the Leicester Gipsy Council Liaison Group, said: "I'm appalled, shocked and disgusted at these comments.
"They are racist. A lot of damage has been done and seeing these comments on YouTube, of all places, is very, very hurtful.
"If they were directed at any other ethnic group, there would be a public outcry.
"We are trying hard to break down barriers between the gipsy community and the public, and things like this certainly do not help."We are a race of people who have been around for hundreds of years. We are an ethnic group."
Calling for Coun Fraser to resign, he said the comments were akin to "incitement to racial hatred", adding: "To do it in a public place is totally unacceptable."
Dr Ion Jinga, Romanian ambassador to the UK, said the comments were "extremely regrettable and totally unfair". He said: "I would like to remind your readers that Romanians are citizens of the European Union, like the British people are."
"Romanians living in the UK are, in an overwhelming majority, highly skilled, hard workers and respectful to the laws, just as the few thousands of British citizens living in Romania are."
After being contacted by the Mercury, Coun Fraser said he "bitterly regretted" the "spur-of-the-moment comment" which "may have caused offence to the majority of decent, law-abiding Romanian people".
He said: "There was no intent on my part to introduce any racist element into the meeting, but I accept I may have allowed my judgement to become momentarily clouded.
"I would like to stress my awareness of the fact that an increasing number of Britons now holiday perfectly safely in Romania each year, and if the opportunity arose, I would quite happily holiday there myself. I don't regard myself as a racist in any way. In fact, I have an excellent record of positively working with, and on behalf of, Leicestershire's minority groups in my time as county council member for equalities."
Coun Fraser said he did not know the meeting was being filmed and said he did not think he should resign over the matter.
Hundreds of residents attended the meeting at Groby Community College on January 8 to discuss the travellers' site plan by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
Among the speakers was Conservative MP for Charnwood, Stephen Dorrell.
He told the Mercury he thought Coun Fraser's comments were "extremely unwise", but not racist.
He said: "I don't think what he said should necessarily lead to his resignation, but his words were extremely unwise and plain wrong in my view.
"Romania is a country of 50 or 60 million people and the majority of those are fine, law-abiding people.
"I don't think it's racist because I don't think that Romanians are a race of people. The comments are anti-Romanian."
Peter Batty, parish council chairman and borough councillor for Groby, also spoke at the travellers' site meeting.
He said: "I think you must look at the context of that meeting. There was a lot of anxiety from a lot of people. Maybe Coun Fraser shouldn't have responded that way. I can't defend that comment. I wouldn't have said that, but I can't tell you what was going through somebody else's mind."
There were nearly 400 visits to the website footage of the meeting on YouTube. It has now been removed.
A police spokeswoman said: "The matter referred to on YouTube was brought to our attention on Friday.
"We are now carrying out an investigation to establish if any criminal offences have been disclosed."
A spokesman for the county council said the comments "will be formally investigated within the council's procedures".
