Councillors and staff at South Kesteven District Council are to receive training to help stamp out 'systemic racism' after an intervention by council leader Kelham Cooke.

The issue raised its head at a meeting of the 'full' council yesterday when Stamford councillor Amanda Wheeler put forward a motion for such training, along with SKDC also hosting Black and Minority Ethnic speakers to help it.

The council would also work with such groups to stamp out any 'systemic' racism in any of its processes or attitudes. It would also ask other organisations to pledge their commitment to anti-racism.

Coun Wheeler (Lib-Dem- Stamford St George) said she was white and had not experienced racism in the district but gave examples of non-whites who had, also noting how stories on the subject online attracted many racist comments.

Coun Wheeler also noted October 1 was the start of 'Black History Month'.

Grantham councillor Ray Wootten sought to amend the motion. He affirmed wishes to stamp out racism and hate crime and noted the council's existing work on integration and working with various groups.

Coun Wootten also disputed Coun Wheeler's claims over the number of black people arrested by police, with the former policeman citing an independent report, which showed this was not an issue in Lincolnshire.

National information quoted by Coun Wheeler said black people are 40 times more likely to be stopped by Police and searched under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

However, Coun Wootten said independent research by campaign group STOPWATCH reported that there were no searches by Lincolnshire Police under section 60 (for serious offences) in 2018/19.

Under Section 1 PACE (lesser serious offences) there were 2786 searches in 2018/19, a breakdown of previous years records reported only 8 were black and in all 23 were from ethnic groups.

Coun Wootten continued: "Stopwatch reported and I quote 'The number of accounts of those from non white background are too low to provide any meaningful figures'."

He was backed by Coun Sarah Trotter (Con-Lincrest), herself a former police officer, who confirmed "institutional racism will not be tolerated."

But Coun Wootten (Con- Grantham St Wulfram's) was accused of 'watering down' or 'negating' Coun Wheeler's motion by removing the training aspects and calls for SKDC to ask other organisations in the district to pledge their commitment to anti-racism.

Coun Wootten also faced criticism for not discussing his amendment with Coun Wheeler.

In the wrangling that followed, Coun Wheeler likened herself to Oliver Twist on the subject.

"Please sir, can I have some more. I don't think I'm being controversial."

Coun Wootten's motion was passed but Independent and Labour councillors fought back, with Coun Ashley Baxter (Ind- Market and West Deeping) further amending Coun Wootten's motion to re-insert the training, the speakers and the council reviewing its systems and processes.

Council leader Kelham Cooke (Con-Casewick) then told the lively debate he would support the 'bullet points' re-inserted by Coun Baxter "to move things along."

In the voting that followed, all councillors supported Coun Baxter's amendment.

Immediately afterwards he told the meeting: "How great it was to get it through as a team."