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A South Derbyshire councillor has been kicked out of the Tory Party after being convicted of attacking a woman.

Councillor Robert Coe was the Conservative councillor for the Swadlincote Ward on South Derbyshire District Council and has been expelled from the South Derbyshire Conservative Association after his court conviction.

The 60-year-old has told the Burton Mail he will continue representing the town but will serve as an independent councillor from now one.

He also claimed he has been threatened in the street and received abuse on social media since admitting assaulting the woman inspector from the Care Quality Commission as she carried out her work inspecting his private ambulance operation.

Councillor Coe, of Hartshill Road, Hartshorne, appeared in Nottingham Magistrates' Court in May when he admitted assaulting the inspector by beating on November 2, 2017, during an inspection.

Councillor Coe had been suspended from the Tory party pending the outcome of the case. The party has now agreed to expel him.

The court had heard that two inspectors had visited Coe at his home address to carry out an inspection of his private ambulance.

The assault happened when the inspectors were using the back door of the ambulance and Councillor Coe asked them to use a side door due to concerns that the vehicle was not parked safely enough on a ramp, the court was told.

They used the side door but then went around the back to inspect the ambulance.

The councillor was concerned about the first aid kit causing an obstruction in the ambulance and it was at this point that he grabbed one of the inspectors by the shoulders and pulled her out of the way to get in to the ambulance, the court was told.

She got her lanyard caught on the side of the ambulance and it caused bruising to her neck, under her arm and to her leg, the court heard.

Chairman of South Derbyshire Conservative Association Councillor David Muller told the Burton Mail: “South Derbyshire Conservative Association have taken the decision to expel Robert Coe as a member of the party following his admission of guilt and subsequent sentencing to the charge of assault."

Leader of South Derbyshire District Council Martyn Ford said: “Conservative councillors on the district council will now expel him from our council group following his termination of party membership. He was previously suspended from the group pending the charge.”

During the latest full council meeting on Thursday, June 28, Councillor Paul Dunn, a member of the council's Labour group, asked: “Does the leader of the council have confidence in Councillor Robert Coe being able to satisfactorily represent the residents of Swadlincote ward and South Derbyshire District Council after his guilty plea in court to assaulting a female officer of the Care Quality Commission?”

Councillor Ford, replied: "As Robert Coe is no longer a member of the Tory Party it is not for me to comment.

"If Councillor Coe wants to continue to represent the community that is a matter for him alone."

When asked about his future on the council, Councillor Coe told the Burton Mail: "I will continue to the next election but I am not sure whether I will stand again.

"I am hoping to continue as a councillor at the moment but to be honest I am not sure about the next election.

"I am still working tirelessly for the community, helping the community, supporting them and dealing with their issues.

"I have taken so much abuse. I have been threatened in the street so I am limiting my time in the town centre. For example I help run a club in the town centre and one day I went back to my car and broken glass had been placed around my tyres."

Councillor Coe, who stopped his ambulance service following the court case but does still continue with first aid training, also criticised social media for what he described as its way of taking issues 'completely out of hand'.

He claimed: "If something is said on social media, other people don't have the understanding on what's going on and it gets people fired up and gets completely out of hand. Anyone can sit behind a computer but there are people taking it that little bit too far."

Married Councillor Coe has been a Conservative councillor on South Derbyshire District Council since being elected in 2015.