The deputy lord mayor of Oxford City Council has been suspended from the local authority’s Labour Group due to an allegation of domestic abuse.

Cllr Sajjad Malik has been suspended by the Labour Party after receiving a 28-day domestic violence protection order at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The leader of the Oxford CC Labour Group, Cllr Susan Brown, made the decision to request the suspension after being informed of the court hearing this week.

Cllr Malik will now sit as an independent councillor.

‘Any allegation of domestic abuse must be taken seriously,’ she said.

‘The Labour Party has a proud history of standing up for victims of domestic abuse. As soon as I and senior colleagues became aware of the court hearing, we informed the Labour party, who moved quickly to suspend him.’

‘Clearly, I and my colleagues are shocked and disappointed to learn about the hearing and the circumstances that led to it. We will now await the outcome of all the relevant investigations.’