Conservative councillor criticised for laughing during speech about 7 year old flood victim

The Conservative Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, Cllr Robert Watts, has been given a public dressing down by the father of a 7 year old boy who died in a flood last year for laughing whilst he was addressing a council meeting about his son's death.

Kye Gbangbola was asking the council to support his calls for a public inquiry into his son's death. Seven year old Zane died of Hydrogen Cyanide poisoning when floods brought contaminated water from a former landfill site into their home. Kye was also poisoned and has been left in a wheelchair as a result. Cllr Watts was seen to be laughing whilst Gbangbola was speaking.

Cllr Watts has apologised for any "unintended offence" and said that he was smiling at the "customary flamboyance" of the leader of the Lib Dem group.

This is the second public embarrassment for Spelthorne Conservatives this year after Conservative councillor Asif Ayub was convicted of 5 counts of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.