Cheshire East Council is taking action to combat the 'appalling' abuse, intimidation and harassment of councillors.

A recent survey revealed the levels of abuse many elected councillors have endured, including death threats, excrement posted through letterboxes, stalking, trolling and obscene phone calls, with over a third having considered stepping down as a result.

Now, councillors on the authority's corporate policy committee have unanimously voted through a report recommending a number of measures to be taken to address these issues.

In a joint statement, council leaders Nick Mannion and Michael Gorman said: "Councillors are local leaders and champions, bridging the gap between residents and local government.

"Becoming and serving as a councillor is a massive privilege and responsibility – but it also means councillors are very visible, often easily accessible to residents and all too often receive appalling abuse.

"We welcome this report and the necessary steps to protect our democratically elected members from abuse, harassment and intimidation.

"We need debate, not hate – and a kinder public discourse."

Over a third of councillors have considered stepping down as a result of harassment (Credit: Nub News)

To protect and support councillors, approved recommendations include the introduction of a formal reporting process, the appointment of a nominated officer for councillor safety, the development of a comprehensive councillor safety protocol, the provision of lone-working devices, targeted training around conflict prevention and wellbeing, and the creation of a member champion for councillor safety.

This member champion will advocate to ensure these issues remain a high priority for the council.

Chair of the review's task and finish group, councillor Fiona Wilson, said in their report: "Unacceptable behaviours directed at councillors are becoming increasingly common, undermining democratic engagement and, in some cases, threatening the safety and wellbeing of those who serve their communities.

"Female councillors are significantly more likely to feel at risk 'frequently or occasionally' (41%) compared with male councillors (4%).

"Levels of abuse, intimidation, and harassment appear to be increasing," she added.

"Our work was driven by a clear aim: to understand the scale and nature of the problem and to identify practical, meaningful steps to support and protect our members.

"Importantly, we have sought to embed a culture of zero tolerance towards abuse and intimidation, recognising that councillor wellbeing was fundamental to a healthy, functioning democracy."

Councillor Fiona Wilson (Credit: MTC)

Discussing the importance of these issues to councillors, Fiona Wilson continued: "The fact that 67% of councillors responded to the survey clearly indicates the levels of concern on this issue and that the reported levels of threats of violence and actual violence are completely unacceptable.

"We have also engaged with the police and the police and crime commissioner and taken their advice on the reporting of incidents.

"It is positive that councillors now have a dedicated named police officer contact for raising concerns."

This report follows a decision made by a corporate policy committee in February, aiming to establish the review and to conduct a survey of councillors.

The survey revealed that 35% of respondents had considered leaving their role as a councillor because of incidents of abuse, intimidation or harassment.

Meanwhile, 43% felt the volume of abuse, intimidation and harassment had increased in the last 12 months and just over half (53%) of councillors felt council arrangements for protecting them personally were ineffective.

In total, 82% of members say they had experienced harassment, abuse and intimidation via social media.