Staff at the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) have been offered support after mayor and MP Dan Norris was arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.
The West of England mayor was arrested on Friday on suspicion of rape, child sex offences and misconduct in public office.
An email to staff, seen by LocalGov, said the senior officer team had met following news of the arrest and had been in contact with Avon and Somerset Police.
‘We fully recognise that this is unsettling and upsetting and that it will affect people in different ways,’ the email read.
‘If you have been impacted by this news or just want to speak with someone, please do not hesitate to reach out.’
The Telegraph has reported that it has seen internal WECA documents noting staff concerns around the ‘need to “protect officers from the mayor”’.
A statement from Avon and Somerset Police said: ‘A man, aged in his sixties, was arrested on Friday (April 4) on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue.’
It added: ‘Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.’
