A COUNCILLOR who shared a photo of a topless woman to a WhatsApp group for mothers has been suspended by the Labour party.
Mohammad Maroof posted the image to the Mums United group as its founder Sahira Irshad was presenting a petition to full council on knife crime.
The married father-of-two said he was trying to attach a video of Ms Irshad speaking at the meeting and instead ‘accidentally’ attached the unsolicited explicit image he had been sent earlier that day.
Apologising for the ‘honest mistake’ he said he asked for the message to be deleted ‘within seconds’ of sending it.
But the 50-year-old, who represents the Nether Edge and Sharrow ward on Sheffield city council, has been banned from attending meetings pending an investigation.
‘I sincerely apologise. I had no intention to do such a thing and cause such disruption. I have a lot of respect for the group. I am very embarrassed,’ he said. ‘This is my private phone and I receive so many things my WhatsApp has been set up to automatically save everything in my phone’s photo file.
‘Somebody sent me this photo and it went to my phone’s file. I tried to send a video and by mistake pressed the wrong photo. As soon as I realised, I asked for it to be deleted. It was only there for a second.’
But one group member, who did not want to be named, said: ‘Is this what is expected of our elected representatives? Absolutely disgraceful. It says a lot when women in his area are crying out for support and he is posting this.’
Mr Maroof helped set up the Mums United group to empower women, stop people falling into gangs and nurture the next generation.
He said he suggested the name ‘to give confidence and assurance to female constituents so, if there are issues, they feel safe and comfortable going to talk to people’.
The council’s Labour leader, Julie Dore, said: ‘This is a very serious matter. We will immediately suspend Cllr Maroof until we have ascertained the details.’
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