A British TikTok star and mother of three has alleged that she was heckled by men working for Brighton and Hove City Council while on a walk with her 12-week-old baby. Imogen Horton, a content creator with over 380,000 followers on Instagram, detailed the incident in a video posted on her account, describing it as "awkward and horrible."
Horton stated that the men were in a council bin truck when they allegedly made comments and whistled at her. She was with her newborn son, Hero, strapped to her chest, and pushing her two daughters, Renealia, four, and Oriavella, two, in a stroller at the time. The incident occurred at a traffic light, where Horton said bystanders were present.
In the video, Horton explained that she felt it was important to set an example for her daughters, telling them that they do not have to accept disrespectful behavior. "We don't accept people speaking to us like that. It's our body, and they don't get to make comment and judgement on it," she said.
Horton's followers expressed support and urged her to file an official complaint. Many tagged the council's official Instagram account, which responded to Horton stating they had been contacted for more information and had raised the matter with the relevant service.
A spokesperson for Brighton & Hove City Council confirmed that the concerns were being taken seriously. "We take the concerns raised by this resident very seriously, have contacted them to gather further details, and will ensure the matter is fully investigated," the spokesperson said. "We are committed to ensuring Brighton & Hove is a fair and inclusive city, where discrimination, harassment and misogyny are not tolerated."
The council added that while they are proud of their staff's work in supporting diversity and inclusion, appropriate action would be taken if behavior falls short of their values and expectations.