A FORMER town council deputy clerk dubbed "Martin Mugabe" in the national press has hit back at the criticism of him.

A tribunal held last year into the dismissal of Martin Bond from Welshpool Town Council laid bare a febrile work environment before his departure in 2019.

Mr Bond has successfully sued the council after the tribunal found that part of the reason for his dismissal was that he had highlighted fire safety concerns at Welshpool Town Hall – even though the council was not found to have wrongfully dismissed him.

Welshpool Town Council last week welcomed the findings of the tribunal after it found that had not wrongfully dismissed Mr Bond, and said had been working hard to remedy "historical procedural issues" since the incidents arose three years ago.

But as well as issues around whistleblowing, the hearing also highlighted a furious working relationship between Mr Bond and then-town clerk Robert Robinson, who he had been expected to succeed, and which included nicknames comparing the former to famous dictators.

The tribunal described Mr Robinson and Mr Bond as "chalk and cheese", and highlighted clashes, between the clerk and deputy, and between Mr Bond and council staff over issues including the location of a rounders pitch and a meeting with a market stall holder.

He was sacked in May 2019, less than four months after starting his role amid claims he was not "mixing" with staff – although he continued to insist it related to his whistleblowing.

But Mr Bond said: "The truth is Mr Robinson, Welshpool Town Council and council employees put lives at serious risk by failing to ensure or report knowledge of the failed Town Hall fire alarm system.

“I felt what was going on at Welshpool Town Council was very wrong and that it was in the interests of Welshpool residents to know how the people they elected and employed to look after Welshpool affairs, were acting.”

The tribunal revealed an angry workplace with accusations being made about both men’s behaviour.

Mr Robinson said in his written witness statement to the tribunal that one day in May 2019 he came into work and found an employee in tears and said it was Mr Bond and that “it feels like bullying”.

Councillor Stephen Kaye told the tribunal that he had begun to hear “negative feedback” with staff members claiming Mr Bond was “was rude and horrible and was nasty to staff” and that he had been dubbed a “mini-Hitler” and received the nickname “Martin Mugabe”.

That has led to him appearing in the national press this week with accompanying pictures of the infamous Zimbabwean dictator, but Mr Bond insisted that he was not the monster he was portrayed as during the hearings.

He said: "No formal or informal complaints were raised against me, no disciplinary action was started, there is no written evidence, no investigation and I was denied an opportunity to defend myself.

“Allegations of staff name calling such as ‘Martin Mugabe’ and ‘Little Hitler’ were not made until two and a half years after my dismissal in (operations manager Paul) McGrath’s witness statement. This like so much else, is false.”

The tribunal said: “What we have found that Mr Robinson did was to exaggerate the picture, and short cut the probation review procedure, and one of the reasons (but not the sole reason) he did so was because of a desire to secure the claimant’s exit to try to ensure the situation with the fire alarms was not exposed.”

The council's statement added: “The council would like to thank the local community for their support throughout the last few years whilst changes have been underway.”

Mr Robinson declined to comment.