Disgraced Ashfield councillor Tom Hollis says he will not be resigning from cabinet despite convictions

The Ashfield Independent, aged 29, was convicted of harassment without violence and careless driving in two trials at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court in September.

He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 200 hours of unpaid work, as well as being ordered to pay his victims £500 each in compensation, a £95 surcharge, costs of £1,000 and a fine of £570.

It led to calls from some politicians for Hollis to resign from his roles on Ashfield Council, where he represents Huthwaite & Brierley, and Nottinghamshire Council, where he represents Sutton West.

He has also kept his post as district council portfolio holder for housing, although Coun Jason Zadrozny, council leader, sacked him as deputy leader after the guilty verdicts.

Hollis has now attended his first cabinet meeting since the court proceedings ended and revealed he does not plan to step back from his roles.

Hollis is paid £12,238.68 a year in a special responsibility allowance for his housing position, on top of £6,901.68 in standard allowances for being a councillor, alongside a basic allowance of £15,015 for his role as a county councillor, totalling £34155.36. He was also paid £3,059.64 last year for his role as deputy leader. The average salary in Ashfield last year was £27,366.

Hollis said: “I’m a normal human being, I make mistakes and, when you’re in the public eye, there’s nowhere to hide.

“I’ve been humbled by the fact the judge has given me a punishment, but I’ve got a job to do at Ashfield Council and the county council.”

“I apologise for the people I’ve hurt, to my own family, to my colleagues who have been embarrassed by what’s happened, but there’s a job to be done and I’m going to keep my head down to do it.

“I think I’d be letting people down if I didn’t do that.”

He said whether to run in next year’s election is a decision he will “have to make” in the future.