Top councillor's drink shame (From Stroud News and Journal)

Top councillor's drink shame

A SENIOR Stroud councillor arrested on suspicion of drink drinking has expressed his regret and backed the annual Christmas drink-drive crackdown.

District cabinet member Stephen Glanfield was arrested on Wednesday night by police who followed his Jaguar to a meeting at Amberley Ridge School on Rodborough Common.

Police claim he was twice over the legal limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.

The 60-year-old Conservative councillor, who lives with his wife in Burleigh, immediately resigned as cabinet member for finance and corporate services at Stroud District Council - a post which carries a £8,450 a year salary.

He was arrested just two days before Gloucestershire police and the county council - of which he is also a member - launched their seasonal anti drink-drink campaign.

Cllr Glanfield told the SNJ he deeply regretted what had happened and urged other motorists to heed police warnings and not drink anything before getting behind the wheel.

"I back the anti drink-drive campaign and I certainly won't ever drink and drive again," he said.

"It was a very stupid thing to do and I'm actually becoming almost tea-total at the moment.

"My resignation was a matter of routine - far too many people in politics hang around for too long after they do something wrong."

Cllr Glanfield won the Minchinhampton ward in 1996 and became a district cabinet member in 2001.

Following boundary changes, he took over the new Amberley and Woodchester ward in 2002.

Cllr Glanfield - who faces a hearing at Stroud Magistrates' Court on January 6 - also resigned as chairman of a GCC scrutiny committee.

He remains a normal member of both district and county councils.

Cllr Chas Fellows - leader of SDC - was 'disappointed' with his colleague. "I'm very sorry to lose someone with such great abilities, however, there can be no excuses for this," he said.

"But he acted immediately in an honourable way by offering his resignation."

*ANY amount of alcohol can affect your driving - that is the message from Gloucestershire police this Christmas. Drug drivers will also be targeted this year. Penalties for drink-driving are six months imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000 and a minimum 12-month driving ban.