A TARGETED attack of vandalism on a Pershore councillor’s car has made him more determined than ever to continue his work and serve the community he represents.
On Tuesday, July 22, Dan Boatright-Greene who has represented the town since 2019, woke to find his front tyre had been punctured in several places with a screwdriver.
But far from making him afraid, the incident has made Dan, who is also a district and county councillor, more resolute to keep campaigning for the issues he believes in.
“I think they hit the wrong person. I was more mildly inconvenienced and thought ‘if you think that is going to stop me then good luck’. It’s so pathetic – they are not going to silence me by doing things like that.”
Worryingly, this isolated incident didn’t surprise him. “This is my first experience of something being more physical, but I was expecting it,” he told the Observer.
“I assumed it would happen at some point. Threatening behaviour is becoming a little bit more common than we’d like it to be.”
He said women are getting ‘hammered’ as well as people from the LGBTQ+ community along with anyone who is outspoken.
They have told Dan that receiving abuse is their ‘normal’. AI being used to create ‘vile’ images which are shared across social media is also quite common.
He added police have told him abuse is on the increase across the district where prominent councillors are being the focus of unwanted attention from a certain group of people.
The tyre damage has been reported to the police who Dan has said were ‘fantastic’ and are taking the incident ‘very seriously’.
They have instructed him to formally report any further threats and will shortly be conducting a security review of his home where lives with his husband and three dogs in Pinvin.
He said ever since he stood as a town councillor he has been on the receiving end of abusive comments via social media and email. He has had the occasional comment to his face.
It was when he stood as the Lib Dem candidate in the general election for the West Worcestershire constituency that he noticed harassment become ‘noticeably worse’.
A very common sentiment being ‘people like you will get what’s coming to you’ he said.
In 2024, six bodies, representing local authorities at all levels in England and Wales have warned abuse levels are unacceptably high and have called for change.
An outpouring of support for Dan from Pershore residents and condemnation of the act on social media has provided support.
“It reminds me that 99 per cent of us are totally awesome and fantastic people who are caring and compassionate regardless of politics but there seems to be that very vocal one per cent that feel they can get away with these things,” Dan said.
