SWINDON Mayor Nick Martin is being investigated over remarks he is said to have made about disabled people having sex.

Coun Nick Martin has denied the comments, which were reportedly made while a council officer was making a presentation about issues faced by disabled adults in the borough, at a safeguarding adults meeting on Wednesday.

He is alleged to have said: “They aren’t still letting those mongols have sex with each other are they?”

Two councillors have said they heard him referring to disabled people as mongols. And one of them has said they have directed the matter to the council’s standard board to investigate.

Councillor Ray Ballman, who is the chair of the learning disability partnership board, said she had passed on the comments to the standards board as she was appalled by them.

“I’m very cross about it,” said Coun Ballman, who represents the Gorse Hill and Pinehurst wards. “Nobody should say that word – it quite rightly hasn’t been used for years.”

Councillor Junab Ali, who was also at the meeting, said it was completely inappropriate.

“It’s very distasteful and discriminatory,” said Coun Ali.

“He is supposed to be the number one person in Swindon as the mayor. I think people will feel very annoyed and hurt by his words.”

Coun Nick Martin has strongly denied making the comments and said he did not remember discussing disabled people having sex at all.

“I don’t recall it at all,” said Coun Martin.

“There are some malicious people around who, for whatever reason, seem to like making trouble.”

Council leader David Renard said he had been made aware that a complaint had been reported to the authority’s standards board.

A council spokesman said it was the authority’s policy not to confirm or deny if an investigation had been launched into a councillor.

But he added that the standards board does not have the power to force a councillor to resign but could suspend them.

Swindon councillors row over mayor's alleged comments captured on social media:

 

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