Leader speaks out on holiday abroad

Press release ‘issued without knowledge’

RICHMONDSHIRE: A council leader who called on people to stay local while she was on holiday on a tropical island has broken her silence. Coun Angie Dale, of Richmondshire District Council, says her family had suffered “devastating” media intrusion after a press release was created by Craven District Council with a fabricated quote.

A LOCAL authority leader who sparked a furore by calling on people to stay local while on holiday on a tropical island has broken her silence to give her version of events.

Coun Angie Dale, leader of Richmondshire District Council, said her family had suffered “absolutely devastating” media intrusion after a press release that she had no knowledge of was created by Craven District Council featuring a fabricated quote from her.

The press release, which also included North Yorkshire Police comments on travel restrictions, was issued on January 8 to some members of the media by Richmondshire Council as she was enjoying a dream holiday with her husband Richard in the Maldives.

She was quoted as saying: “The number of Covid cases is rising dramatically every day and we are told we haven’t reached the peak yet, so it is vitally important that people heed the stay local message.”

Despite facing intense pressure to explain the contradiction, Coun Dale, who is also the

mayor of Colburn, told the first full meeting of the district council since the press release that she had been waiting for the “correct forum” to comment.

She said she had booked the holiday before the Government announced lockdown travel restrictions and had followed all the rules.

“The content of the press release issued was not discussed with me as I was not contactable. However it was done in the leader’s name, and I would have agreed the content.

“The impact of the press intrusion on my husband, children’s, parents and family’s privacy has been absolutely devastating to the point that they had to disconnect phone lines as they were being harassed by the press. This to me is totally out of order.

“I would like to add that this was not a last-minute booking, but a planned holiday, and my husband and I travelled through legitimate travel corridors following all government guidelines.”

Another Tory member, Coun Jimmy Wilson Petch, said he accepted Coun Dale had not breached any rules. “However, the press release was extremely ill-judged. All I ask is that she recognises the statement was unwise and just an apologise for the whole matter and put it to bed.”

Coun Dale replied the release had been issued without her knowledge, but Coun Wilson Petch said: “That’s no excuse, you’re the leader.”