Reform UK Mayor Luke Campbell Investigated Over Alleged Cyberflashing

Luke Campbell, the elected mayor for Hull and East Yorkshire representing Reform UK, is currently under police investigation following accusations of allegedly sharing naked images of himself.

A spokesperson for the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA) stated that the mayor "firmly denies the allegations" and acknowledged the seriousness of the reports. "With a police investigation ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further on individual allegations or speculate about the outcome," the spokesperson added, noting that the authority has established procedures for handling such complaints.

The Observer newspaper reported that Campbell, a former Olympic gold medallist boxer, is accused of showing explicit pictures of himself to a female member of staff. This alleged incident, termed cyberflashing, has prompted calls for the mayor to step aside during the investigation.

Mike Ross, the Liberal Democrat leader of Hull City Council and the second-place finisher in last year's mayoral election, suggested that Campbell should step aside. "I'm saying if there's an investigation taking place at the moment in any other circumstances a person in that position would be asked to stand aside while that was taking place," Ross said.

Anne Handley, Conservative leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, echoed this sentiment, stating, "I think to look after the mayor, to look after himself, I think the best thing he could do was to just stand aside for now just until the investigation comes to a conclusion."

Reform UK issued a statement asserting that Campbell "firmly denies the allegations." The party suggested the claims originate from a "disgruntled employee attempting to leverage a settlement in a meritless workplace dispute."