Social workers sacked over 'sick' image of paedophile Gary Glitter carrying a child in a shopping bag
By Lucinda Cameron
24th November 2008[/align]
Fifteen council staff, including social workers, have been sacked or reprimanded after circulating a tasteless e-mail of reviled paedophile Gary Glitter carrying a child in a shopping bag. An investigation was launched after an employee alerted bosses to the appalling image, which shows the convicted paedophile holding a plastic bag with a superimposed child's head popping out of the top. Staff had circulated the email on the office network, where it spread within hours. Some of those sacked are trained social workers – whose job is to protect vulnerable children.
A council source said: 'These emails mocked the very children these people were being paid to protect.' Yesterday, South Lanarkshire – the authority at the centre of the scandal – confirmed that staff had been sacked or warned. A spokesman was forced to deny reports that the image of the youngster superimposed on the picture had been taken from the council's own register of 'at risk' children.
She said: 'It is totally untrue that images of children on South Lanarkshire Council's at risk register have been circulated in an email. We do not hold photographs of children on our at risk register. 'As of today a number of employees across the council have been dismissed and others have received final written warnings over the circulation of an email featuring the image of a child's face superimposed on a shopping bag carried by Gary Glitter. The image is one currently circulating throughout the United Kingdom.' She added: 'The image is totally inappropriate and represents a gross misuse of council email.'
Gary Glitter
The council would not confirm how many staff had been sacked or warned because employees have the right to appeal against any decisions resulting from the disciplinary action carried out yesterday. Most of those involved are based at the council's office in Rutherglen, near Glasgow. Last night Liberal Democrat MP Annette Brooke, an ambassador for children's charity NSPCC, said: 'It is totally unacceptable that anyone, let alone anyone involved in child protection, should find Gary Glitter's behaviour remotely amusing.'
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This is just stupid - was any child hurt in the process? The person who complained should be the one who is sacked, for being such a small minded twat.
Personally I think it's a very funny pic and now I wonder how many people in work places around the country will be sacked for looking at it on the Daily 'fucking' Mail's site?
