Edinburgh Council leader receives abusive bin collection complaint during security talks

Council leader Adam McVey received an abusive email complaining about bin collections during a key meeting to discuss a new security protocol after two elected members received chilling death threats, it has been revealed.

Council Leader Adam McVey at the City Chambers. Pic: Ian Georgeson

Details of the offensive message emerged as Edinburgh City Council unanimously agreed a motion from Labour Cllr Mandy Watt for “a protocol to be developed for councillors to report incident” in order to “receive appropriate support”.

The safety procedures will be “put in place as quickly as possible” after two councillors received death threats which included both face-to-face abuse and messages on social media. It is also understood in both cases the threats were linked to their role as elected members of the local authority. Police have warned a man over the abuse and are continuing to investigate online threats.

Cllr Watt said: “When people try to silence councillors with threats, intimidation or further down the line where it might be suggested that we would like to sit down and be quiet so that we avoid making ourselves a target – it’s not acceptable.

“We need a protocol to make sure that these councillors know what to do and who to go to and know that they will have the support of this council.”

Cllr McVey was sent an email from a man claiming that the violent threats were warranted because bins are not picked up on time during the meeting.

He said: “While I’ve been sitting here, I’ve had an email from someone you could describe as an angry man.

“His message to me is quite clear, it’s that behaviour highlighted is justified. And what justification does he give to the extreme behaviour – a bin not being picked up.

“While it is frustrating when a bin isn’t picked up, it isn’t justification for threats of violence or death threats to politicians.”

He called for cross-party support in condemning the threats and said the council’s own social media platforms may need to look at a response to the abuse.

Cllr McVey added: “We are not talking about politicians being heckled or being asked difficult questions, we are talking about threats of physical violence, we are talking about abusive behaviour.

“The element of this I experience more prominently and regularly is on social media. The swarms of people who create social media accounts with their three followers and set them up as anonymous Twitter troll accounts are regularly blocked by me. Twitter has also suspended some of those accounts and taken some Tweets down.”

A police spokesperson confirmed officers were investigating the threats to the two members, adding: “Officers have issued a 57-year-old man with a recorded police warning following a report of threatening and abusive behaviour in the city centre on Thursday 11 April.

“Officers are investigating following a report of threatening communications received by email on Thursday 9 May and inquiries are ongoing.”