Councillor fear as window smashed by ‘horrid cowards’

Woman believes she is campaign victim

A “SHAKEN and jumpy” politician fears she is the target of an escalating campaign after a window of her home was smashed in the middle of the night.

Aberdeenshire councillor Gillian Owen was asleep when a large plant pot was thrown through the porch of her house in Ellon – damaging a gift she received from Theresa May.

The outspoken education committee chairman said the attack, which is being investigated by the police, was the most serious in a six-month catalogue of abuse, including glass being put under her car tyres.

“The behaviour seems now to be escalating,” she said.

“I can’t quite believe local people could do something so horrid.”

Gordon MP Colin Clark “This attack is deplorable and cowardly. Gillian is a wonderful public servant.”

A north-east councillor has been left feeling “shaken and jumpy” after a plant pot was thrown through her window in what she believes is an escalating campaign against her.

Gillian Owen was woken by the sound of smashing glass at 5am yesterday and discovered a large potted plant in her porch and a smashed pane.

Police are investigating the attack on the Ellon home of the outspoken Conservative chairwoman of the local authority’s education committee.

Gordon MP Colin Clark said it was a “deplorable and cowardly” act.

Voicing her anger last night, Mrs Owen said she felt she was the victim of a six-month campaign of abuse by “unknown individuals”.

First elected as a councillor in 2007, Mrs Owen said: “I’m bitterly disappointed that this has happened.

“I work really hard for Ellon and for this to happen – well it’s just mindless.

“It looks like they have tried at first with a small flower pot, but then had to find a much bigger one to break the window.

“The place is in such a mess – and it’s destroyed a plant that I inherited from my grandfather.”

Explaining that the family home has been under attack before, Mrs Owen said she had resorted to phoning the police “a few times” in the last six months.

She said: “We have had a lot of nuisance behaviour such as people ringing the door bell and then running away, but also we found some broken glass placed behind the wheels of my car.

“The behaviour seems now to be escalating.”

A police spokeswoman confirmed they had visited Mrs Owen yesterday about an alleged act of vandalism and that inquiries were continuing.

Mrs Owen, who lives in the Schoolhill Road property with her husband and son, praised the quick response of the police.

She commented: “The police have been brilliant, they were here within 15 minutes. They took statements from all three of us.

“Alex said he had heard people running off, but all I heard was the noise of the glass shattering. I’ve been feeling jumpy all day.”

Mrs Owen hit the headlines when she waded into a row about visiting teachers and claimed some of the specialists’ work is little more than “kicking a ball” and “drawing”.

Photograph by Jim Irvine SHAKEN: Gillian Owen has suffered a campaign of abuse – but is worried the attacks are escalating.

DAMAGE: Councillor Gillian Owen was awoken by glass smashing at around 5am

The substantial plant pot