Vindictive Potto

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This article is about the suitably redacted PDF-letter from Councillor Andrew WILDE to North Yorkshire Police (embedded at the foot of this page) which, in my view, is entirely demonstrative of an inexcusable personal resentment to public scrutiny.

I understand that ‘Alex’, the recipient of Councillor WILDE’s letter, is a Police Officer at North Yorkshire Police (NYP).

This letter contains an outpouring of vitriol, going far beyond what any member of the public should be called upon to endure.

Readers who can be bothered to read all of the letter will immediately observe that the allegations are reiterated endlessly, with no attempt whatsoever to adduce any substantiating evidence.

I would expect it of NYP, or any diligent investigatory body, to have advised Potto Parish Council that letters such as this are a breach of s5(2) Criminal Law Act 1967 – wasting Police time (not to mention certain provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998).

Ironically, I have determined that part of the Freedom of Information request that prompted this spiteful missive (which eventually escalated to the First-Tier and Upper Tier Tribunals quoted in the letter) was to ask what evidence Potto Parish Council held to substantiate its allegations of “harassment” and “vexatious” behaviour.

The Council’s response was ‘information not held’ – so the Council openly admits that it could not, and cannot, substantiate any of the fantastical allegations contained within the letter.

Whilst this letter is undated, the Properties and Metadata suggest that it was originated on 29th November 2022.

I am given to understand that, eighteen months later, Potto Parish Council continues to circulate this letter to numerous third parties including, quite recently, the Information Commissioner’s Office. If it has been passed deliberately to any member of the wider public, it may fall with the provisions of the Malicious Communications Act 2003.

I understand that the target of Councillor WILDE’s letter (identity redacted) has never once been contacted by any organisation, including North Yorkshire Police, about any of the appalling allegations set out within the letter, and that not one if its allegations has ever been evidentially substantiated by any third-party person or body.

I hope to follow this up, with a view to including my findings in my next Potto article – about the recently-completed Audit Investigation for Potto Council’s 2022/23 Annual Accounts and the damning six-page Audit Report.  Watch this space . . .