'A man threatened to shoot me': councillors facing death threats and violence as survey finds 78% feel at risk

From the Newshound archive · first published 19 September 2026.

A landmark Local Government Association survey of more than 1,500 councillors has found 78% feel at risk in their roles, with 52% saying intimidation has risen in the past year. Heather Williams, opposition group leader on South Cambridgeshire District Council, installed cameras, panic alarms and a tracking app after receiving rape and death threats. Over a third of councillors have made security modifications to their homes, with some moving house entirely. Devon and Cornwall recorded 27 crimes against elected members in 12 months under Operation Ford, a scheme its own police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez called little more than a "bureaucratic inbox".

Torridge councillor Philip Hackett said someone drove a car at him and told him: 'I hope you die a horrible death' over a planning application.

Irish TD Michael Healy-Rae was also attacked this week, with a dog walker accused of a 'violent, unprovoked and politically motivated' assault in Dublin traffic.