Councillor is ‘forced’ into taking drug test
Surgery confrontation with ‘irate’ man
AROCHDALE councillor says he was strong-armed into taking a drugs test by a member of the public following a bizarre confrontation at his weekly surgery.
Coun Daniel Meredith said he was speaking to ward residents at The Strand Community Hub in Kirkholt on Wednesday when a disgruntled man demanded he take a test for narcotics.
The member for Balderstone and Kirkholt, who was awaiting colleague Coun Philip Massey, said he tried to de-escalate the situation.
The man, the councillor said, claimed there were rumours he had been taking drugs - and wanted him to set the record straight.
The council’s regeneration and housing boss took a test - which came back negative traces of drugs.
But the ‘confrontational’ man wasn’t finished, Coun Meredith added. for any
“I told him to go back to whoever was spreading these malicious rumours and tell them the test came back negative,” he said.
“He then said ‘I’m not done, I want the rest of the cabinet to do a test’ and said that I should lead on it.
“I told him it is not fair to do this. He then started to get a bit irate.”
The man has reportedly been bombarding councillors with similar requests as part of a bid to get MPS routinely drug tested.
Coun Meredith added: “He could have done anything. Anyone can just turn up.
“At the end of the day, we are doing this for local people to speak to us about issues they have.”
Coun Meredith works as a senior charge nurse for the NHS.
He stressed that councillors are ‘just normal people’.
“He could have done anything.”