A Teesside councillor is facing a complaint after she voted against a motion calling for a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal despite allegedly “warning” her paedophile son ahead of his arrest.
Labour politician Carol Clark, who chairs the Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Children and Young People Committee, is under fire for not declaring a potential conflict of interest due to her son’s criminal history.
Cllr Clark’s son Richard was jailed for 12 years in 2018 after the “malign puppet master” paedophile coerced people to abuse their own children.
Richard Clark pleaded guilty to 26 offences after North Yorkshire Police identified 41 children who had been victimised in his online campaign of abuse.
Councillor Carol Clark
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
At least 17 children were removed from their homes or safeguarded after the police probe.
But questions remain for his mother after a court heard about how he deleted digital evidence ahead of his arrest following a ‘warning’ from Cllr Clark after a police visit.
Local media reported at the time that the police “had first gone to his address at Stockton, where his mother [Cllr Carol Clark] and brother still lived.
“While officers made their way to the school where he taught to arrest him, his mother warned her son and he uninstalled his Snapchat apps on his phone along with a teenage dating app.”
The complaint, seen exclusively by GB News, asks Stockton Council if it believes Cllr Clark is “the most appropriate person” to chair the Children and Young People Committee “given that … Cllr Clark warned her son of his imminent arrest”.
The anonymous complainant adds that they are “concerned that she was able to vote on a related inquiry without declaring an interest”.
It also asks the council: “Given that 17 children were taken into care, can you guarantee that none of these children are in the care of Stockton local authority and therefore under the jurisdiction of the Corporate parenting board, of which Cllr Clark is vice-chair?”
Stockton Council voted in favour of a national inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal in January, with the Labour-run authority breaking with the Government’s position against a public investigation.
In a 29-21 split, the authority called for a national inquiry after GB News revealed that Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips had rejected a demand from Oldham Council for a government-backed review in the town.
The decision sparked a major political row, with the Conservatives and Reform UK calling for a national inquiry into the scandal.
GB News revealed in 2023 that over 50 different towns and cities had been affected by grooming abuse gangs, but just a handful had received serious investigations.
A spokesman for Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council said: “A complaint has been received and is being dealt with under the Council’s code of conduct procedures. Substantially similar issues were raised in a complaint received in 2018 and no breach was found.”
Matt Vickers MP told GB News: “The facts in this case, and the alleged role played by the Councillor are very serious and gravely concerning.
“Residents have been in contact with me to share their concerns, specifically following Cllr Clark’s decision to vote against a National Enquiry into Grooming Gangs.
“Such sick and depraved individuals as Richard Clark are a danger to society, with many residents rightly concerned that he may be coming up for release soon.
“Residents and taxpayers of Stockton rightly want answers as to why someone who is reported to have warned her paedophile son of his imminent arrest, can chair the Children and Young Person Committee while serving on the corporate parenting board responsible for the welfare of children in care.
“Similarly, they want to know how someone in such a position can be allowed to oppose calls for a grooming gangs inquiry without declaring an interest. Residents deserve answers to their questions.”