Disgraced councillor Tom Hollis still an Ashfield Independents councillor following court sentencing

Disgraced Ashfield councillor Tom Hollis will remain in elected office on two Nottinghamshire councils despite being sentenced in court for two separate offences.

The Ashfield Independents politician, 29, was found guilty of harassment without violence and careless driving during two trials at Nottingham Magistrates' Court last month.

During sentencing for both cases on Thursday (October 13), he was handed a 12-month community order and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay the victims £500 each as compensation, a £95 victim surcharge, costs of £1,000, a fine of £570 and six points were added to his driving licence.

Calls have since been made by some local politicians for Cllr Hollis to resign from his positions as a councillor on both Ashfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.

He represents Huthwaite and Brierley for the Ashfield Independents on Ashfield District Council and is the divisional member for Sutton West at County Hall.

The Sutton-in-Ashfield councillor is also the portfolio holder for housing on the Ashfield authority – a position he has not been relieved of by the council's leader Cllr Jason Zadrozny.

Now his political group has confirmed Cllr Hollis remains one of its elected politicians and is still a member of Ashfield District Council's cabinet.

This comes despite Cllr Ben Bradley MP (Con), the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, issuing a statement calling for both Cllr Hollis and the Ashfield Independents to "do the right thing".

The Ashfield Independents spokesperson said: "The court has made a judgement and Tom has accepted this and will now serve his sentence giving back to the community.

"The incidents were well over two years ago in a time of high pressure. Since then, Tom has matured and will now continue his job – serving his beloved communities of Carsic, Huthwaite and Sutton."

Last month, Cllr Zadrozny confirmed the disgraced councillor had been sacked as deputy leader of the council but continues to act as portfolio holder for social housing.

The Ashfield Independent spokesperson confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Friday (October 14) that this remains the case following Cllr Hollis' sentencing.

But in the statement issued by Cllr Bradley, the county council leader said he was "deeply disappointed" that Cllr Hollis would be staying on in office.

If Cllr Hollis had been handed a three-month custodial sentence, even as a suspended sentence, he would automatically have been removed from his positions on both councils.

Cllr Bradley said: "His behaviour has been disgraceful. He is not fit for public office. Unfortunately, the law does not allow me to do it.

"He cannot be removed, but he could and should resign. I'm calling on Cllr Hollis to do the right thing and step down.

"He is not a suitable person to be a county councillor when our core responsibilities are to look after the most vulnerable adults and children in our communities. He should resign immediately.

"If he will not do so, the only disciplinary routes available are through his political party, the Ashfield Independents.

"If Cllr Hollis was a Conservative member, he would be expelled, he would no longer sit as a Conservative at any council (and certainly not one that I lead) and he would be removed from all positions of responsibility, in accordance with our party's rules.

"I don't know what the Ashfield Independents' disciplinary rules are or if they have any, but these actions – expulsion from the party and being sacked from all positions of responsibility – are my minimum expectation and the public's minimum expectation.

"He should not be selected by the Ashfield Independents for any future elections. He should not be eligible to speak for them on any subject or receive additional taxpayer-funded allowances through their offices.

"Anything less than this level of disciplinary action is unacceptable."

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire County Council added: "The sentence given to Cllr Tom Hollis does not meet the legal threshold for disqualification from office, which is a custodial sentence of three months or more.

"Therefore, he remains county councillor for Sutton West."

Cllr Hollis has been approached for a comment.