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Tory councillor quizzed by police after making 'homophobic' joke about transsexuals!
Light-hearted: Councillor Yardley said he didn't realise there was a transgender person in the room when he made the joke. He thought he was just making a humorous remark.
But not everyone saw the funny side to Conservative councilor Jonathan Yardley's suggestion at a police liaison meeting that transsexuals could call themselves both male and female.
Unbeknown to him, a transgendered person was among the 50 members of the public present, and a complaint - thought to have been made by the person's partner - was later recieved by police about Mr Yardley's 'homophobic' comment.
It resulted, claims Mr Yardley, in him being 'put through the mill' by officers and told to be more careful what he jokes about.
Today Mr Yardley, 48, said: 'I find it ridiculous you can get in trouble over an off the cuff remark with no malice intended. I didn't even know there was a transgendered person there.
'There are much more important issues that the police should be spending their time on. These are the politically correct times we live in, you can't make jokes any more.'
At the meeting which landed him in hot water the public had been given handsets allowing them to electronically answer 36 questions that were being flashed up on screen as part of a presentation.
The first few questions, as is usual at the quarterly meetings in Wolverhampton chaired by Mr Yardley, the city council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, were intended to establish the demographic of the audience.
The audience was told by a police authority worker: 'Let's start with an easy question to get us going: Press A if you're male or B if you're female'. The transgender person's partner then asked: 'What if you're transgendered?', and Mr Yardley said: 'You could press A and B together.'
He says his remark raised a laugh and the meeting carried on. But afterwards it emerged the transgendered person, who has not been named, was left feeling 'uncomfortable', prompting the police to give Mr Yardley a talking to.
He was not arrested, but was spoken to by officers during another meeting he had with police a couple of weeks later as a part of his council role, police sources say.
Mr Yardley, a married father of one, said: 'I went to meet with a sergeant and an inspector who told me what I said could be homophobic and started giving me advice on what sort of humour I should engage in.
'They put me through the mill and asked me to confirm what I'd said and told me that a complaint had been made and I could be prosecuted. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
'I've been trying to get more police into my ward, Tettenhall Regis, where there are the usual problems of anti-social youths, burglary and car crime. It just adds to my frustration that the police have to deal with petty complaints like jokes.
'I blame the Government for all the edicts they send out which seem to stop the police doing their real job and involve them in bureaucracy. Any innocuous remark now has to be investigated.'
Chief Superintendent Richard Green, Head of Police in Wolverhampton West, said: 'We met with Councillor Yardley for a short discussion, at which various policing issues were discussed. One of the many issues that were informally discussed included the matter he now refers to.
'At the time he thanked the officers for discussing the matter with him and the appropriate and proportionate way that they dealt with the matter.'
A West Midlands Police spokesman added that they do not agree with Mr Yardley's assertion that his remark was met with general amusement.
The spokesman added: 'West Midlands Police would not wish the public to be left with the impression that this matter occupied a large amount of Police time, as the contrary is true. We spend our time successfully tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and arresting criminals, as the public quite rightly expects us to.'
Light-hearted: Councillor Yardley said he didn't realise there was a transgender person in the room when he made the joke. He thought he was just making a humorous remark.
But not everyone saw the funny side to Conservative councilor Jonathan Yardley's suggestion at a police liaison meeting that transsexuals could call themselves both male and female.
Unbeknown to him, a transgendered person was among the 50 members of the public present, and a complaint - thought to have been made by the person's partner - was later recieved by police about Mr Yardley's 'homophobic' comment.
It resulted, claims Mr Yardley, in him being 'put through the mill' by officers and told to be more careful what he jokes about.
Today Mr Yardley, 48, said: 'I find it ridiculous you can get in trouble over an off the cuff remark with no malice intended. I didn't even know there was a transgendered person there.
'There are much more important issues that the police should be spending their time on. These are the politically correct times we live in, you can't make jokes any more.'
At the meeting which landed him in hot water the public had been given handsets allowing them to electronically answer 36 questions that were being flashed up on screen as part of a presentation.
The first few questions, as is usual at the quarterly meetings in Wolverhampton chaired by Mr Yardley, the city council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety, were intended to establish the demographic of the audience.
The audience was told by a police authority worker: 'Let's start with an easy question to get us going: Press A if you're male or B if you're female'. The transgender person's partner then asked: 'What if you're transgendered?', and Mr Yardley said: 'You could press A and B together.'
He says his remark raised a laugh and the meeting carried on. But afterwards it emerged the transgendered person, who has not been named, was left feeling 'uncomfortable', prompting the police to give Mr Yardley a talking to.
He was not arrested, but was spoken to by officers during another meeting he had with police a couple of weeks later as a part of his council role, police sources say.
Mr Yardley, a married father of one, said: 'I went to meet with a sergeant and an inspector who told me what I said could be homophobic and started giving me advice on what sort of humour I should engage in.
'They put me through the mill and asked me to confirm what I'd said and told me that a complaint had been made and I could be prosecuted. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
'I've been trying to get more police into my ward, Tettenhall Regis, where there are the usual problems of anti-social youths, burglary and car crime. It just adds to my frustration that the police have to deal with petty complaints like jokes.
'I blame the Government for all the edicts they send out which seem to stop the police doing their real job and involve them in bureaucracy. Any innocuous remark now has to be investigated.'
Chief Superintendent Richard Green, Head of Police in Wolverhampton West, said: 'We met with Councillor Yardley for a short discussion, at which various policing issues were discussed. One of the many issues that were informally discussed included the matter he now refers to.
'At the time he thanked the officers for discussing the matter with him and the appropriate and proportionate way that they dealt with the matter.'
A West Midlands Police spokesman added that they do not agree with Mr Yardley's assertion that his remark was met with general amusement.
The spokesman added: 'West Midlands Police would not wish the public to be left with the impression that this matter occupied a large amount of Police time, as the contrary is true. We spend our time successfully tackling crime, anti-social behaviour and arresting criminals, as the public quite rightly expects us to.'
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