A CONSERVATIVE councillor has questioned a decision to suspend the email account of one of her political opponents.

Cllr Beverley Dunlop said she felt “really uncomfortable” that a council officer had withdrawn a means of communication from a democratically elected councillor.

As reported in the Echo, Liberal Democrat councillor Roger West has had his email and internet access suspended amid allegations he may have breached the Data Protection Act.

Council executive director Liz Wilkinson blocked his access to IT systems and reported him to the Information Commissioner.

Bournemouth council will not say what Cllr West is alleged to have done but it is thought he has been accused of forwarding to a third party an email intended for councillors.

Cllr Dunlop stressed she had no opinion she wished to share on the contents of any of Cllr West’s emails, the ongoing dispute between him and council leader John Beesley or whether he had breached any rules.

But she did say: “Restricting a councillor’s access to their official email is not only an infringement of liberty, it is denying their political right to communicate as a democratically elected councillor. The fact that they may be under investigation is an entirely separate matter.”

Bournemouth council said it had nothing to add to its previous statement from Ms Wilkinson, which said: “A number of issues have arisen which indicate that Cllr Roger West may have breached the Data Protection Act and privacy law and this places the council and Cllr West at risk of liability.

“The circumstances are such that, as the council’s senior information risk owner, I consider it necessary to make a referral to the Information Commissioner’s Office and to withdraw Cllr West’s access to the council’s ICT systems and email account pending the outcome of the ICO investigation and the council’s further consideration of the matters referred as appropriate.”