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A councillor who called a transgender opponent “he” instead of “she” is refusing a police request to take part in a restorative justice programme.

Guy Harkin, a former Labour mayor, maintains it was slip of the tongue, and described the row as a “ridiculous charade”.

Conservative Coun Zoe Kirk-Robinson, 35, said she was “incredibly disappointed” by his refusal to meet face to face.

Last week she reported Coun Harkin, 69, to Greater Manchester Police , alleging she was the victim of a hate crime.

Coun Kirk-Robinson, a writer, artist, filmmaker and game developer, prominent LGBT campaigner and a Hate Crime Ambassador, transitioned from male to female more than 10 years ago.

(Image: cascade)

In a tweet after the meeting of Bolton council she said: “Labour Cllr Guy Harkin repeatedly misgendered me in tonight’s Council meeting, while going off on a personal attack against me.”

Officers downgraded it to a “hate incident” rather than a “hate crime” — and suggested the two councillors sit down together to discuss the issue and come to a resolution.

But Coun Harkin, a retired senior management lecturer, says he won’t participate in a restorative justice programme.

“I have had a conversation with the police and made it plain that I have no interest in anything but a dropping of the whole ridiculous charade or of me being prosecuted — an action which I would defend most vigorously,” he said.

“I am also letting them know that if they want to see me I will go to them rather than have them come to me so as to minimise the outrageous wasting of police time and resources which this attention seeking individual has already caused.”

He added: “Anyone who knows me knows that I am utterly uninterested in a person’s age, sex, colour, creed, sexually orientation, gender or any other factor about them other than our common humanity.

“The fuss that Cllr Kirk-Robinson wants to make of this inadvertent error on my part tells you much more about her than it does about me.”

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden, hate crime leader for Bolton police, said: “We believe restorative justice is an ideal way for the two parties to get together in a professional environment and discuss the issue and learn what impact has been had by what has taken place, so that is what we are planning to do.”

Cllr Harkin says the comments represented a ‘slip of the tongue’ and is unhappy with his council colleague’s handling of the situation.

(Image: Alamy)

Greater Manchester Police has now confirmed that it is not treating the issue as a hate crime, instead downgrading it to a hate incident — and has suggested getting the two councillors together to discuss the issue and come to a resolution.

However, this is not something Cllr Harkin is happy with.

Coun Kirk-Robinson added: “I want this issue to be resolved as soon as possible because I don’t want it to happen to anyone else in the future.

“As for attention seeking, I didn’t ask for any of this but as a hate crime ambassador I feel it is important to raise these issues — if you don’t call it out at the highest level then how can you ask people to call it out when it happens in the street.

“I would really urge Coun Harkin to change his mind and co-operate so we can get this resolved.”