Social worker suspended over naked image claim

A senior social worker was suspended yesterday after he allegedly sent an obscene picture to colleagues.

Michael Cole, 50, is being investigated after the sexually explicit image was put in an e-mail and forwarded to several co-workers. It is understood someone complained to bosses at Aberdeen City Council and Mr Cole was suspended from the authority’s crisis-hit social work department.

Councillor Alan Donnelly, a former social worker, said: “The matter needs to be investigated and dealt with, but not in a long drawn out process. The social work department is already understaffed and a long enquiry is going to be to the detriment of the service it provides.

“If there has been any wrongdoing then the person needs to be disciplined so the council can move on. This is the last thing we need at the moment.”

It’s understood an image of a naked woman was downloaded from the internet and then altered.

A female colleague complained which led to additional obscene pictures being found on a work computer.