Reform UK has dismissed as “baseless” a complaint that Hull and East Yorkshire mayor Luke Campbell showed naked photographs of himself to a female member of staff.
A party spokesman said: “Luke firmly denies the allegations. They come from a disgruntled employee attempting to leverage a settlement in a meritless workplace dispute.”
The party said the material shown in the office came from Campbell’s appearance in Gay Times magazine (pictured), for which he posed nude after winning boxing gold for Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics.
The denial follows an investigation by The Observer, which reported that Campbell, 39, was under police investigation over the allegations.
According to written evidence seen by the newspaper, the woman alleges that Campbell called her over to his desk in an office in central Hull in May and showed her four “naked and sexualised images” of himself on his computer.
She claims the mayor and male colleagues laughed at her reaction, leaving her feeling “shocked, embarrassed and humiliated”.
The Observer reported that the woman had been working as a contractor and had accepted an offer of a permanent role. About three weeks after the alleged incident, she was told the offer had been withdrawn.
Documents submitted as part of an employment tribunal complaint allege that she lost the position because of her rejection of unwanted sexual conduct.
The newspaper reported that Campbell had been interviewed under caution by Humberside Police earlier this month. He has not been arrested or charged.
The matter is also the subject of an internal grievance procedure at Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, according to The Observer.
Responding to the newspaper, an authority spokesman said its standards process and complaints procedure must be carried out fairly and independently.
