View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

Guards ‘frogmarch’ journalist out of council meeting after he called PR a ‘pr**k’

By William Turvill

Tower Hamlets blogger Ted Jeory has told how he was ejected from a council meeting after complaining about inadequate seating room for the press.

Jeory has said he was “frogmarched” out of the town hall by two uniformed security guards on the orders of the council’s head of communications.

The blogger has admitted he called Takki Sulaiman a “prick” and that he regretted this. On the communications worker, he said: “He and I have a long history. He dislikes my journalism and I dislike his attitude to press freedom.”

In a blog about being ejected from the meeting on Wednesday, Jeory – who is digital news director at the Daily and Sunday Express – criticised the council for “a gradual erosion in the access afforded to reporters wishing to cover council meetings” in the nine years he has covered it.

He noted that the problems did not start with Sulaiman, but said he has been guilty of converting “press queries to Freedom of Information requests”.

On Wednesday’s meeting, Jeory said that he had arrived ten minutes before the 7.30pm start to find a member of the public sitting in an area reserved for the press so he was forced to stand at the back of the public gallery. He also noted that a council worker for town hall newspaper East End Life had been given a seat.

Jeory said Sulaiman told him his seat had been given away because he had not responded to an email confirming his attendance – although the blogger said he received no such email.

The head of communications came to confront Jeory after he had tweeted about the situation and as he turned to leave Jeory, “in a quiet voice, one on one, I told him he was acting like a prick”.

He added: “He asked me to repeat it. So I did. He then asked whether I’d like to be removed from the gallery. I said, ‘Do what you want Takki, I’m trying to report.’

“He then hurried off and walked into a wall.

“Then a few seconds later, two THEOS (Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers) approached me. They asked me to leave the gallery. I followed them. Takki was waiting in the corridor outside. He asked me whether I’d called him a prick. I said Yes. He said I’d have to leave the building and the two THEOS walked me to the lift, got in, shook their heads in embarrassment and made sure I left the town hall.”

Sulaiman said in an email: "We had two rows reserved for the press but by the time the meeting was about to start only two had turned up and as it was a short meeting (the council AGM) we gave the remainder to the public as interest was high.

"Shortly after Mr Jeory arrived unhappy at not having a seat (he stood at the back). He tweeted that the Editor of East End Life (our council publication) had a seat and I approached him stating that she was disabled hence she needed a seat. He then called me a pr**k – twice. I approached our security staff who asked him to leave and he confirmed to them and again online what he had said. He then left.

"A number of press inside, most of whom had seats, continued to report on the meeting so this is not an issue about press access. It is about one man abusing a council officer.

"These are formal meetings and all attendees are expected to behave reasonably."

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly dose of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network