.gif?crop=8:5,smart&quality=75&auto=webp&width=1024)
A senior councillor has been sacked from his role as education chief after being filmed ripping down a teenager’s fundraising poster.
Peter Walker was out jogging this week when he stopped to remove the poster attached to railings at Dundonald Park, Wimbledon.
The Labour councillor was secretly filmed by a local resident and the footage was posted on YouTube — prompting Merton council’s leader to dismiss him from his cabinet education post yesterday.
The poster advertised a bicycle repair day organised by a 15-year-old boy in aid of a campaign fund to fight any planning application to build on Dundonald Park.
Local residents are opposed to a proposal from Mr Walker to expand Dundonald primary school, fearing the move will destroy part of the park.
After watching the film, council leader Stephen Alambritis dismissed Mr Walker. He said: “Peter Walker has done excellent work on Labour’s policy of expanding our best performing schools to provide more places for local children. However, I regard this conduct as wholly unacceptable. It is not the way the Labour administration does business.”
But today Mr Walker said he had no regrets. “My colleagues have capitulated to the Nimbies. What I did was what ordinary, respectful citizens of this town should do to defend the integrity of their open space,” he said.
He claimed the council has had “long problems” with Protect Dundonald Rec, which is bitterly opposed to the school expansion plan. “I pick up rubbish and put it in the bin. What I did was legal and proper.
“The council has taken down this group’s posters for six months. I’ve done it before with other posters.”
Jenny Baulkwill, the mother of Ben who put up the poster, said: “ Is this chilling behaviour setting a good example to local children — a local representative caught in the act of vandalism and endeavouring to stymie a local community event for children?
“Because of Peter Walker’s negative actions we have no option but to postpone the event.”
