A left-wing Liberal Democrat politician in England has been suspended after recording minors outside a primary school and flatly refusing official requests to delete the footage from social media.
Adrian Chapmanlaw, an elected official serving on the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council in Dorset, England, was stripped of his party affiliation as an internal inquiry gets underway.
The disciplinary action follows administrators at Manorside Academy lodging a formal objection regarding a clip shared to Chapmanlaw’s “Dorset Safer Roads” social media page. While the politician maintained the recording was intended to document driving infractions on restricted lines near the school, the published footage displayed parents and children without censorship.
Leadership at Manorside Academy repeatedly urged Chapmanlaw to delete the broadcast because the faces of vulnerable children and guardians were clearly visible. Chapmanlaw refused. According to school officials, leaving unedited recordings of children and their families publicly accessible severely jeopardized student safety and caused unnecessary panic among local families.
The Liberal Democrats’ local leader, Millie Earl, stated: “As a council group, we take safeguarding concerns raised by our partners very seriously. I have therefore suspended Councillor Chapmanlaw from the Liberal Democrat Group until the council’s standards procedure has been concluded. In line with our Standing Orders, we will then consider what further action should be taken.”
Chapmanlaw responded on his social media platform by characterizing himself as a victim. “This is what happens when you take a stand and try to make a difference,” he wrote. “Kids die outside of schools—I am merely trying to protect them using the legal systems available to me.”
He also accused political allies of abandoning him, stating: “People try to tear you down. Even people who are supposed to be your friends will throw you under the bus rather than support.”
Dismissing the school’s concerns, Chapmanlaw added: “The complaint is complete cow excrement. There was no ‘safeguarding issue’ anybody with eyes can see that. I find this action completely disgusting, I am currently considering my options.”
